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MEMOIR 


O F 

KEY.  HENRY  LOBDELL,  M.D., 


LATE 


MISSIONARY  OF  THE  AMERICAN  BOARD 

AT  MOSUL: 


INCLUDING  THE 

EARLY  HISTORY  OF  THE  ASSYRIAN  MISSION. 


BY  REV.  AY.  S.  TYLER,  D.  D., 

GRAVES  PROFESSOR  OF  GREEK  IN  AMHERST  COLLEGE. 


“ Arise,  go  unto  Nineveh,  that  great  city,  and  preach  unto  it  the  preaching  that  I bid 
thee.”  — Jonaii  ill:  2. 


PUBLISHED  BY 

THE  AMERICAN  TRACT  SOCIETY, 
No.  28  Corn h ill,  Boston. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1859,  by 
THE  AMERICAN  TRACT  SOCIETY, 

In  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts 


Geo.  C.  Hand  & Avery,  Printers,  3 Cornhill,  Boston. 


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TO  THE 

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tSakrgrairattUs  anir  ^larntti  of  ^mljerst  College ; 

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AND  ESPECIALLY  TO  THE  NUMEROUS  MISSIONARIES  WHO 

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HAVE  MADE  THEIR  ALMA  MATER  KNOWN  AS  A 

BENEFACTRESS  OF  THE  BENIGHTED  NATIONS 

IN  EVERY  QUARTER  OF  THE  GLOBE, 

Hlfmarials  of  a $*prtor 

ARE  AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED 


BY  THE  AUTHOR, 


701747 


PREFACE 


In  an  age  when  missionary  enterprise  is  honored,  as  it  never  was 
before,  by  the  entire  Christian  community,  and  when  books  of 
travel,  and  of  geographical  and  antiquarian  research,  are  eagerly 
welcomed  by  the  reading  public,  no  apology  can  be  needful  for  the 
publication  of  a memoir  which  combines  all  these  characteristics,  — 
the  memoir  of  one  who  was  at  once  a traveler  and  an  antiquarian, 
an  Oriental  scholar  and  a Christian  missionary ; who  carried  the 
glad  tidings  of  the  gospel  back  to  those  regions  where  the  human 
race  was  cradled  in  its  infancy,  and  who,  having  done  the  work  of 
a long  life  in  a few  years,  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-eight,  laid  his 
worn  and  weary  body  down  to  its  last  rest  on  the  banks  of  the 
Tigris.  I only  regret  that  the  preparation  of  the  memoir  could  not 
have  been  entrusted  to  better  hands,  and  that  it  could  not  have 
been  earlier  accomplished.  The  causes  which  have,  from  year  to 
year,  prevented  its  more  seasonable  appearance,  would  be  of  no 
interest  to  the  public. 

When,  almost  two  years  ago,  the  writings  of  Dr.  Lobdell  were 
placed  in  my  hands,  with  the  urgent  request  that  I would  prepare 
the  memoir,  I was  surprised,  and  almost  appalled,  by  the  very 
vastness  of  the  materials.  More  than  a dozen  volumes  of  manu- 
script journals,  and  an  incredible  number  of  letters,  attested  the 
extent  of  his  observation,  the  breadth  of  his  plans,  the  industry 
and  effectiveness  of  his  short  life.  To  read  them  all  over,  — to 
trace  the  early  dawnings  of  his  intellectual  life,  to  review  the  con- 
flicts and  triumphs  of  a four  years’  course  in  college,  u which  I 
myself  saw,  and  part  of  which  I was,”  and  then  to  follow  him,  step 
by  step,  through  the  brief  but  brilliant  career  which  he  early  marked 
out  for  himself,  and  from  which  he  never  swerved,  or  even  rested 
for  a moment,  till  he  rested  in  his  grave,  — was  a labor  of  love  and 


VI 


PREFACE. 


of  pleasure.  But  to  select  from  such  a mass  the  matter  best  suited 
to  a memoir,  to  digest  it  into  a connected  narrative,  and  to  compress 
it  within  the  compass  of  a duodecimo  volume,  and  that,  too,  amid  the 
cares  and  labors  of  an  engrossing  profession,  — this  has  been  the 
most  difficult  part  of  my  task.  Of  the  manner  in  which  this  task 
has  been  executed,  they  will  judge  the  most  charitably  who  have 
had  the  most  experience. 

To  the  friends,  at  home  and  abroad,  who  have  furnished  materials, 
and  especially  to  those  who  have  contributed  to  the  contents  of 
these  pages,  the  author  takes  this  occasion  to  return  his  heartfelt 
acknowledgments.  The  reader,  scarcely  less  than  the*  writer,  will 
feel  under  great  obligations  to  Bev.  Professor  Seelye,  of  Amherst 
College,  and  Bev.  D.  W Marsh,  of  Mosul,  — the  former  the  bosom 
friend  of  Dr.  Lobdell’s  early  days,  the  latter  the  beloved  companion 
of  his  missionary  labors,  — for  the  charm  which  their  pens  have 
lent  to  the  opening  and  concluding  chapters.  I am  indebted  to 
Bev.  Dr.  Perkins,  of  the  Nestorian  Mission,  and  Bev.  Dr.  Anderson, 
the  Secretary  of  the  American  Board,  for  constant  encouragement 
and  assistance,  without  which  the  work  never  would  have  been 
undertaken,  still  less  successfully  accomplished.  For  myself,  I 
claim  no  other  merit  than  a faithful  representation  of  the  life  and 
character  of  an  able  and  devoted  missionary;  and  my  highest  ambi- 
tion will  have  been  accomplished,  if  the  Memoir  shall  subserve  the 
holy  cause  in  which  its  subject  lived  and  died. 

Amherst,  Nov.,  1859, 


CONTENTS 


CHATTER  I 

Introductory  — Missionaries  the  Heroes  and  Martyrs  of  Modem  History  — 
Lives  often  short;  in  this  respect,  like  that  of  Christ  — Trails  of  Dr.  Lobdell’s 
Life,  Character,  and  Field  of  Labor  — Corresponding  Characteristics  of  this 
Memoir 11 

CHAPTER  II 

Farentage  — Early  Life  — Self-support  — Self-education  — Six  Years  on  a Farm 

— Teaching — Study  of  Medicine  — Preparation  for  College  — Enters  at  Am- 
herst College  15 

CHAPTER  III 

Early'Religious  Character  — Skeptical  Doubts  and  Difficulties  — Counteracting 
Christian  Influences  — Conversion  — Decides  at  the  same  time  to  be  a Minis- 
ter— Commences  at  once  an  active  Christian  Life 23 

CHAPTER  IY. 

College  .Life  — Variety  of  Character  — Mental  Excitement  — Engaged  in 
Teaching —High  Rank  as  a Scholar  — Received  as  a Beneficiary  of  the 
American  Education  Society  — Economy  — Faithfulness  in  all  College 
Studies  — Habits  of  Study — Prize  Essay  — Reading  — Manner  of  Read- 
ing— Writing  and  Speaking  — College  Societies  — Total  Abstinence  — 
Prayer  Meetings  — Secret  Prayer  — Meditation  — The  Bible  and  the  Sab- 
bath— Christian  Life  — Relation  to  Teachers  and  Fellow-Students — Chris- 
tian Motives  in  Study  — Personal  Efforts  for  the  Salvation  of  Sinners  — Inter- 
crest  in  Revivals  — Vacations  — Usefulness  in  Teaching — At  South  Amherst 

— In  New  London  — The  ill-fated  Atlantic  — At  Old  Hadley  — In  New  York 

City  — Interested  in  and  adapted  to  the  West  — Decision  to  be  a Foreign 
Missionary  — Letter  to  his  Mother 33 

CHAPTER  V. 

Professional  Studies  — Inducements  to  delay  — Medical  and  Theological  Stud- 
ies at  New  Haven  — Freedom  of  Thought  and  Speech  — Medical  Diploma  — 
At  Auburn  — Severe  Mental  Conflict  — Extracts  from  Diary  — Peace  in  Be- 
lieving— Danbury  Institute  — Marriage  — Translation  of  Prof.  DeFelice’s 
History  of  the  Protestants  of  France  — Establishment  of  the  Second  Congre- 
gational Church  in  Danbury — Letter  to  its  Members  — Offers  himself  to  the 
service  of  the  American  Board  — Preference  for  China  — Willingness  to  go  to 
Mosul — Residence  at  Andover  — Attendance  on  Hospital  Practice  in  New 
York  — Various  Other  Engagements  — Warns  his  Brother  against  Similar 
Haste 66 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Voyage  to  Smyrna  and  Beyroot  — Licensure — Ordination  — Embarkation  — 
Life  at  Sea  — Humor  — Sympathy  — Hurricane  — Sailors  — Bible  — Plans  for 
its  Elucidation  — Reading  — Gibraltar  — Malta  — Grecian  Archipelago  — 
Smyrna  — View  from  the  Harbor  — Scene  in  the  Streets  — The  American 
Missionaries  and  their  Work  —Antiquities — Austrian  Steamship  Stamboul  — 


viii 


CONTENTS. 


Same  Route  as  Paul’s  to  Phenicia  — Patmos  and  the  Seven  Churches  of  Asia 

— Beyroot — Chapel  and  Press  of  American  Mission  — The  Syrian  Field 

— Laborers  — Results  — Prospects  90 

CHAPTER  VII 

Journey  to  Aintab  — English  Steamer  — Tripoli  — Latakiya  — Detention  of  two 
Weeks  — Appeal  for  Missionaries  at  Latakiya — Manner  of  Traveling  — 
Hardships  and  Dangers  of  the  Way  — Valley  of  the  Orontes  — Sabbath  at 
Killis  — Piety  of  the  Native  Brethren  — Call  for  Missionaries  — Three  Week3 
in  Aintab  — The  Work  there  — Petitioned  to  remain  — Appeal  for  a Mis- 
sionary Physician  — History  and  Present  State  of  the  Mission  105 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Aintab  to  Mosul  — View  from  the  hill  — Fences  — Pollat  Avedis  — Fountain 
of  Aleppo  Water  — Moslem  Prayers  — Sleeping  in  a Tent — Illustrations  of 
Scripture  — Crossing  a River  — Native  Helper  at  Nisib  — Crossing  the  Eu- 
phrates — Detention  — Asdour  — Bir  — Enlightened  Turkey  — W oman  — The 
Dragoman  Zenope  — Desert  Plain  — Abraham  — Dipper  — Orion  — Iv  han  of 
the  Four  Kings  — Sabbath  there  — A Pastoral  Country — Oorfa — Lurchiz 
Avedis  — Abraham’s  Cave  — The  Protestant  Community  — Appeal  for  a Mis- 
sionary— Severek  — Birth-place  of  Judas  Iscariot  — The  “ Black  Mountain” 

— No  Forests  in  Turkey  — Thunder  Storm  — Late  arrival  at  Diarbekr  — 

Gates  closed  — Key  obtained  by  Mr.  Dunmore  — Diarbekr  — Situation  — His- 
tory — View  from  the  hill  across  the  River  — Stoned  by  the  Moslems  — Prom- 
ising Missionary  Station  — Departure  — Voyage  down  the  Tigris  — Boat  of 
Skins  — Scenery  — Arrival  at  Mosul 125 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Mosul — Situation  — Description  — Site  of  Nineveh  — Nebbi  Yoonus,  Nimrood, 
&c. — Fulfillment  of  Prophecy  — Al-Kosh,  and  Nahum  the  El-Koshite  — River 
Chebar,  and  Ezekiel  — Babylon  — Ezekiel’s  Tomb  — Tomb  of  Daniel  — Shu- 
shan  the  Palace — Heaps  of  Ruins  — The  inhabitants  a sadder  ruin  — Ruined 
Churches  — The  Nestorians  — The  Jacobites — The  Armenians  — All  admit 
the  authority  of  the  Scriptures  — Inroads  of  the  Papists  — Providential  Pre- 
paration for  the  Missionaries  — The  Malabar  Priest  — The  mill- wright  Micha 

— Trials  of  the  early  Missionaries  — Death  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mitchell,  Mr. 

Hinsdale,  Mrs.  Laurie,  and  Dr.  Grant  — Puseyite  influence  — Mr.  Badger  — 
Temporary  Suspension  of  the  Mission  — Arrival  of  Mr.  Marsh  — Of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Williams 150 


CHAPTER  X. 

Climate  of  Mosul  — Extreme  heat  — Dryness  — Houses  — Bargains  — Cheap 
living  — Opening  of  his  Boxes  — Medical  Practice  — Dispensary  — Accompa- 
nied with  Religious  Services  — Diseases,  bodily  and  spiritual  — His  own 
Health  — Recreations  during  and  after  sickness  — Assyrian  Antiquities  — 
Missionary  Physicians  — Stated  Religious  Services  of  the  Mission  — Native 
Helpers — Priest  Michael  — Deacon  Jeremiah  — Micha  and  Hanna  — The 
Arabic  — First  Impressions  of  the  Field  — Discouragements  —Women  — 
Schools  — Extracts  from  Journal  — Selections  from  Letters  — To  Dr.  Perkins 

— Mr.  Coan  — Mr.  Stoddard  — Mr.  Seely e — Ilis  Brother  — Dr.  Anderson 

— Mr.  Scofield  — Dr.  Hitchcock 169 


CONTENTS. 


IX 


CHATTER  XI. 

Excursion  to  Sheikli  Adi,  the  seat  of  the  Yezidees,  or  Devil-worshipers  — Their 
number  — Called  Heathen  — Baadri — Hussein  Bey  — White  Garments  — 
Cleanliness  — English  Consul  — Convent  near  Al-Kosh  — The  Monks  — The 
* Jereed,  and  the  Shaking  of  the  Spear  — Bozan,  the  Place  of  Gathering  for 
the  General  Judgment  — Spirit-rappings  — The  Butcheries  of  Beder  Khan 
Bey  — Sunday  — The  Locality  — Ceremonies  — The  Dance  — Baptism  of  Chil- 
dren— The  Temple  — Doctrines  — Sheikh  Adi,  the  Good  Principle  — Melek 
Taoos  the  Evil — His  Symbol,  a Peacock  — A Breakfast  with  Sheikh  Nasir 
— Reverence  Satan  — Adore  the  Sun  — Relic  of  Sabeanism  — Schools,  &c., 
at  Mosul 213 


CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Winter  and  Spring  of  1853  — Seed  Time  and  Harvest  both  natural  and 
spiritual — His  Tongue  unloosed  — Discussions  on  the  Way  of  Salvation  — 
Crowds  in  the  Dispensary  and  the  Study  — Extracts  from  Journal  — Great 
Excitement  — Great  Fatigue  — Great  Joy  — Feasts  of  St.  Peter  and  St  Elias — 
Fast  of  the  Prophet  Jonah — Summoned  before  the  Cadi  — Refuses  to  give 
Medicines  without  the  Gospel  — Persecution  at  Tel  Keif — The  Jews  — The 
Yezidees  — The  Arabs  — Nimrood  — Palace  of  Sennacherib  at  Koyunjik  — 
Bible  Illustrations  — Linguistic  Speculations  — Uncle  Tom’s  Cabin— Post 
Days  — Moslems  like  the  Chief  Priests  and  Pharisees  — No  Sadducees  — Im- 
plicit Faith  — Ignorance  — Papal  Lies — History  of  the  Reformation  repeated 
— Arguments 228 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Second  Summer  in  Mosul  — The  Heat  — Insects — Missionary  Labors  and  Joys 

— Arrival  of  Mr.  and  Mrs  Marsh  — Commentary  on  the  Book  of  Jonah  — 
The  Hot  Sun  — The  East  Wind  — The  Gourd  — The  “Exceeding  Great  City  ” 

— Articles  on  Mosul — Nestorian  and  Jacobite  Liturgies  — Prophecy  — Tour 
to  Oroomiah  — Bartulli  — Churches  — Trees  — Threshing  — Karamels  — An- 
cient Bumadus— The  Zab  — An  Old  Friend  — Nocturnal  Adventures  — 
Arbeel — Ain  Ivawa  — Preaching  till  Midnight  — Sheikh  Laua  — Exciting 
Scenes  — Koords  — Night  Ride  — Ravendouz— Basalt  Pillars  — An  Encounter 

— Oroomiah  — A Paradise  — Sickness  — Letter  of  Dr  Perkins  — “ Our  Coun- 
try’s Sin  ” — Anti-Slavery  Circular  — Peculiar  Policy  of  the  Nestorian  Mis- 
sion— Life  in  and  around  Oroomiah  — Visit  to  Tabreez  with  Mr.  Cochran  — 
Narrow  Escape  on  the  Lake  of  Oroomiah  — Return  with  Messrs.  Rhea  and 
Coan  to  Mosul  — Gawar  — Deacon  Tamo  — Mountains  of  Jeloo  — Valleys  — 
Love  of  Home  — Erwintoos-Too  — Bass  — Tekhoma  — Scene  of  the  Massacre 

— Dr.  Grant 255 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Fellowship  of  Assyrian  and  Nestorian  Missions  — Imperfect  Health  of  Dr. 
Lobdell  — English  Patients  — Practical  Questions  — The  largest  Liberty  — 
Languages  — Gift  of  Tongues  — Climate  — Examination  of  Church  Mem- 
bers—A Marriage  — A Hospital  — Preaching  at  the  Dispensary — Obstacles 
—Effect  of  the  War  — Rabbi  Shiloam  — Moollah  Yoosuf— Annual  Report  of 
the  Mission  — Persecution  — Papists  — Progress  — Honesty  — Thanksgiving  at 
Mosul  — Private  and  Inward  Life 290 


X 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Second  Winter  in  Mosul  — Ice  — Health  — Resolutions  — Growth  in  Grace 
—The  Bible— The  Dispensary  — Spread  of  the  Truth  — Nimrood  and  Koyun- 
jik  — Shiloam — Illustrations  of  Life  in  Mosul — Oriental  Theology  — Prot- 
estant Community  at  Diarbekr  — General  Meeting  of  the  Assyrian  Mission  — 
Journey  of  Dr.  Lobdell  and  Mr.  Marsh  to  Diarbekr  — Changes  and  Progress 
there— Letters  to  Mr.  Crane  and  Dr.  Perkins 303 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Riots  at  Mosul— Intercourse  with  Mosul  Dignitaries  — The  Cadi  — The  Kai- 
makam  — Yiehye  EfFendi  — The  Prince  of  the  Scholars  — The  Prince  of  the 
Merchants  — The  Pasha  — Death  of  Yiehye  EfTendi  and  Moollah  Yussuf 

— Burial  Rites  — Moslem  Bigotry  — Journey  with  Mrs.  Williams  for  her 
Health  — Akra  — Paradise  — Morality  no  part  of  Religion  — Dr.  Bacon 

— Rural  Scene  — Increased  Illness  of  Mrs.  Williams  — Death  — Return  to 
Mosul  — Sickness  of  Mr.  Williams  — Death  again  in  the  Missionary  Circle 

— Death  of  Friends  in  America  — Of  Mr  Crane  — Missionary  Work  — 

Plot  for  an  Insurrection  — Letter  to  the  Tribune  in  Defence  of  Missions  — 
To  the  Society  of  Inquiry  at  Andover  — Anti-Slavery  Circular — Notes  on 
Xenophon’s  Anabasis  — Contributions  to  the  American  Oriental  Society — 
Letters  of  Professors  Salisbury  and  Whitney — Theology 320 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Extracts  from  Journal  — Contributions  by  Missionaries  to  the  Advancement 
of  Learning  — Dr.  Judson — Dr.  Perkins  — Healt^  Station  at  Deira  — Dr. 
Lobdell’s  Journey  thither  — Establishment  of  a Seminary  at  Mosul  — The 
Education  Question  — Disturbed  State  of  the  Country  — Yezdinshir  Bey  — 
Siege  of  Jezireh  — Protestant  Cemetery  — Demolition  of  the  Wall  at  the  Insti- 
gation of  the  Papists  — Action  of  the  Board  on  Slavery — Combination  to 
drive  away  the  Missionaries  — Archbishop  Behnam  — Scarlet  Fever  — Pota- 
toes in  Mosul  — Letter  written  at  Nimrood  — Sculptures,  Coins,  and  other 
Relics  of  Antiquity— The  Nineveh  Gallery  at  Amherst — Bible  Illus- 
trations   343 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Tour  to  Baghdad  and  Babylon  — Voyage  down  the  Tigris  — Kalah  Sherghat  — 
Tekrit  — Birthplace  of  Saladin  — Samarah  — A gorgeous  Sunset  — Palms  and 
Pomegranates  — Post  — Baghdad  — Col.  Rawlinson  — The  Residency  — Cli- 
mate — English  Hospitality  — Mr.  Bruhl  — Prof.  Petermann  — M.  Fresnel  — 
The  Belgian  Colonel  — Aleppo  Button  — Circular  Boats  — Ride  to  Babylon  — 
Canals  and  Khans— The  Count  — The  Pasha  — Babel  — Birs  Nimrood— Cof- 
fins and  Tombs  — Theory  of  Babylon  — Pilgrimage  to  Ivazmain  — Jewish 
Hospital  — Visit  to  the  Pasha  — Arrival  of  Mr.  Murray  — The  Steamer  — Sun- 
day Levee  — Interview  with  the  Ambassador  — Return  by  post  to  Mosul  36T 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Occupations  after  his  return  from  Baghdad  — Chills  and  Fever  — Last  Letter  — 
Last  Entry  in  private  Journal— Mrs.  Lobdell’s  Journal  of  his  Sickness  — 
Death  — Burial  by  the  side  of  Dr.  Grant  — Communion  of  Choice  Spirits  in 
Heaven  — Wife  and  Children  — Age  — Brainerd  — Martyn  — Fruits  of  his 
Labors  — Character— Recollections  and  Impressions  of  his  Friends— Mr. 
Lothrop  — Mr.  Seelye  — Dr.  Perkins  — Mr.  Marsh 390 


MEMOIR. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Introductory  — Missionaries  the  Heroes  and  Martyrs  of  Modern  History  — 
Lives  often  short;  in  this  respect,  like  that  of  Christ  — Traits  of  Dr.  Lobdell’s 
Life,  Character,  and  Field  of  Labor  — Corresponding1  Characteristics  of  this 
Memoir. 

The  Roman  mother  pointed  to  her  sons,  saying,  “ These 
are  my  jewels.”  Christian  missionaries  are  among  the 
choicest  jewels  of  the  church.  Their  example  and  influ- 
ence are  her  true  riches ; their  memory  is  her  imperishable 
crown.  They  are  the  heroes  of  modern  history,  who  con- 
tend against  fearful  odds,  win  bloodless  battles,  plant  the 
standard  of  the  cross  on  distant  shores,  and  annex  the 
farthest  East  with  the  remotest  W est  to  the  dominions  of 
the  Prince  of  Peace.  They  are  the  martyrs  of  these  lat- 
ter days,  who  attest  the  truth  and  power  of  the  religion 
of  Jesus  by  their  consecrated  and  self-denying  lives,  — not 
unfrequently  by  their  early  and  triumphant  deaths.  As  a 
class,  they  are  perhaps  the  nearest  living  representatives 
of  the  first  great  Missionary,  who  was  “ sent  ” into  our 
world  for  its  redemption, — the  brightest  earthly  image  of 
the  first  Christian  Martyr,  who  sealed  his  own  New  Tes- 
tament with  his  own  precious  blood.  For  the  honor  of 
Christ,  then,  as  well  as  for  the  edification  of  the  church, 
the  memory  of  missionaries  should  be  cherished;  their 
names  should  be  written  on  earth  as,  we  are  assured,  they 
are  registered  in  heaven ; their  influence,  so  far  as  possi- 
ble, should  be  perpetuated  through  time  as,  we  know,  it 
will  be  in  eternity. 


12 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


What  though  they  are  cut  down,  like  the  morning 
flower,  in  the  fresh  bloom,  perchance  in  the  very  bud,  of 
their  beauty  and  usefulness ! So  much  the  more  reason 
is  there,  if  possible,  to  perpetuate  the  impression  of  such 
a character,  — to  catch  and  preserve  the  fragrance  of  such 
a life.  This  is  only  another  point  of  resemblance  to  him 
whose  public  ministry  was  only  half  of  the  sacred  seven, 
the  perfect  number  of  the  Hebrews,  and  only  the  tenth 
part  of  an  entire  generation;  and  who  encouraged  his 
followers  to  lose  their  life  here,  and  find  it  hereafter,  by 
that  beautiful  and  instructive  simile, — “Except  a corn  of 
wheat  fall  into  the  ground  and  die,  it  abideth  alone ; but 
if  it  die,  it  bringeth  forth  much  fruit.” 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  scarcely  three  full  years 
in  the  field  of  his  missionary  labors : yet  he  lived  long 
enough  to  develop  a mature  Christian  character ; to  exert 
a powerful  Christian  influence ; to  attach  strongly  to  him- 
self many  both  at  home  and  in  foreign  lands,  and,  thus, 
when  he  was  taken  to  a better  world,  to  draw  them  up- 
ward by  a sweet  and  almost  irresistible  attraction.  The 
“ corn  of  wheat  ” was  already  ripe  when  it  fell  into  the 
ground,  and  eternity  alone  will  reap  the  full  harvest  of 
immortal  fruit. 

The  life  of  Dr.  Lobdell,  though  short,  was  stirring  and 
eventful ; it  were  hardly  extravagant  to  say,  it  Avas  heroic 
and  martyr-like,  almost  from  the  first,  in  its  perpetual 
struggle  with  difficulties.  His  character,  though  of  course 
not  what  it  would  have  been  had  he  lived  to  a more  ad- 
vanced age,  was  strongly  marked,  original,  bold,  free  from 
all  affectation,  and  all  imitation  of  any  human  being,  yet 
subdued  by  the  grace  of  God,  and  modeled  ever  more 
and  more  into  the  image  of  Christ.  And  his  field  is  one 
of  peculiar  interest,  — the  cradle  of  the  human  race ; the 
neighborhood,  if  not  the  very  site,  of  the  Garden  of  Eden ; 
lying  at  the  base  of  the  mountains  of  Ararat ; the  land  of 
Shinar,  of  Babel,  and  Erech,  and  Accad,  and  Calneh ; the 


MESOPOTAMIA. 


13 


country  of  Asshur,  and  Nineveh,  and  Rehoboth,  and  Ca- 
lah,  and  Resen ; the  birth-land  of  Abraham  and  the 
Hebrew  patriarchs ; the  burial-place  of  Jonah,  and  Eze- 
kiel, and  Daniel,  and  Nahum,  among  the  prophets ; the 
theater  of  events  scarcely  less  miraculous,  the  occasion  of 
an  inspiration  even  more  prophetic,  and  the  source  of  an 
influence  on  the  chosen  people  no  less  important,  than 
those  connected  with  their  sojourn  in,  and  exodus  from, 
Egypt.  Mesopotamia  is  the  fountain  of  sacred  history; 
and  it  can  not  but  awaken  profound  interest  in  the 
observing  and  reflecting  mind  to  see  the  stream,  under 
the  guidance  of  Christian  missions,  “ flow  back  where  it 
began.” 

Much  of  the  same  interest  attaches  to  the  entire  field 
of  Turkish  missions.  The  theater  of  the  most  important 
events  in  the  history  of  our  world’s  redemption  (to  say 
nothing  of  the  strange  fascinations  that  hang  about  the 
secular  history  of  those  countries  of  the  Orient  now  under 
Ottoman  rule),  — the  scene  of  the  whole  history  of  the 
old  Jewish  economy,  and  of  the  commencement  of  the 
new  Christian  dispensation,  — it  is  now  not  only  drawing 
the  attention  of  all  Christendom  as  the  brilliant  prize  for 
which  the  great  powers  of  Europe  are  contending,  but, 
what  is  of  infinitely  higher  moment,  it  is  now  again  fast- 
ening on  itself  the  admiring  gaze  of  angels  and  principali- 
ties and  powers  in  heavenly  places,  as  the  scene  of  the 
conflicts  and  triumphs  of  American  missionaries ; conflicts 
and  triumphs  which  are  winning  more  honor  to  our  name 
and  nation  in  the  estimation  of  the  wise  and  good  of 
earth,  as  well  as  in  the  eyes  of  the  holy  in  heaven,  than 
all  the  boasted  acquisitions  of  American  valor  and  states- 
manship, or  even  of  American  enterprise  and  skill,  whether 
in  the  political  or  the  commercial  world. 

No  small  part  of  this  great  missionary  field  was  visited 
by  Dr.  Lobdell  on  the  way  to  his  own  station ; and  as  he 
tarried  with  his  missionary  brethren,  and  entered  with  all 
2 


14 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


liis  heart  into  their  labors,  and  recorded  the  results  of  his 
observations  in  his  copious  journals,  the  history  and  pres- 
ent state  of  several  of  the  most  interesting  stations  be- 
come a part  of  his  own  history,  and  will  be  transferred 
with  more  or  less  fullness  to  these  pages. 

It  was  eminently  characteristic  of  our  young  brother  to 
sympathize  with  everything  human,  as  well  as  everything 
Christian,  around  him ; to  live  with  and  in  the  men  and 
the  things  with  which,  from  time  to  time,  he  had  to  do. 
Hence  his  journal,  which  he  began  to  keep  long  before  he 
went  to  college,  and  continued  with  scarcely  an  interrup- 
tion till  his  last  sickness,  is  a full  — and  frank  as  full  — 
record,  not  only  of  his  own  daily  life,  but  of  the  sayings 
and  doings  of  others  with  whom  he  was  associated ; and 
is  almost  a history,  not  of  himself  merely,  but  also  of  his 
times.  His  life  thus  gains  in  breadth  and  depth  what  it 
lost  in  length;  and  his  biography  cannot  be  truly  and 
faithfully  written  without  exhibiting  more  or  less  of  this 
characteristic  feature.  Should  any  part  of  these  memoirs 
appear  to  enter  into  too  much  detail  of  apparently  extra- 
neous matter,  our  apology  will  be  found  in  this  fact,  to- 
gether with  the  fullness  of  the  journals,  which  rendered 
selection  the  chief  difficulty.  We  do  not  apprehend, 
however,  that,  in  the  view  of  most  readers,  these  inci- 
dental sketches  of  other  missionaries  and  other  missions 
will  detract  from  the  instruction  and  interest  of  a life 
which,  if  we  have  not  altogether  mistaken  it,  had  in  it 
much  that  was  attractive  and  noble,  and  not  a little  that 
should  stimulate  us  “ to  make  our  lives,”  as  his  was, 
“ sublime  ” 


CHAPTER  II. 


Parentage — Early  Life — Self-support — Self-education — Six  Years  on  a 
Farm  — Teaching  — Study  of  Medicine  — Preparation  for  College — Enters 
at  Amherst  College. 

Henry  Lobdell  was  born  in  Danbury,  Fairfield  coun- 
ty, Connecticut,  January  25th,  1827.  The  little,  old, 
wood-colored  house  in  which  he  first  saw  the  light,  and 
where  he  spent  his  earliest  years,  though  no  longer  occupied 
by  any  of  the  family  connection,  still  stands  on  an  emi- 
nence in  the  outskirts  of  that  busy  yet  beautiful  manufac- 
turing village,  and  overlooks  a scene  of  activity  and 
industry  as  untiring  as  that  by  which  his  own  life  was 
marked.  It  commands,  also,  an  extensive  prospect  of 
those  hills  and  valleys,  of  that  rugged  surface  and  pictur- 
esque scenery,  which  distinguish  in  different  degrees  the 
western  counties  of  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts,  and 
fit  them  to  produce,  not  corn  and  wine,  but  men.  Those 
counties  may  well  be  called  the  birthplace  of  American 
Missions.  There  was  the  Mission  School  at  Cornwall,  in 
which  native  preachers  were  trained  for  the  American 
Indians  and  the  Sandwich  Islands.  There  is  Williams 
College,  where  clustered  the  young  men,  and  went  up  the 
prayers,  that  led  to  the  formation  of  the  American  Board 
of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions.  Mills  and  Hall 
and  Fiske  and  Parsons  were  born  there ; and  not  a few 
other  pioneer  missionaries,  some  of  whom  rest  from  their 
labors  and  their  works  do  follow  them,  while  others  still 
five  to  gather  in  the  harvest,  and  see  on  earth  the  fruits 
of  their  toils.  And  not  existence  only,  but  their  distinc- 
tive character  has  been  given  to  American  Missions,  by 
the  enterprise  and  energy,  the  temperance  and  patience, 
and  power  of  endurance,  and  the  intelligent  and  manly 


16 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


piety  residing  in  these  hill  towns  of  Western  New  Eng- 
land. May  the  fountain  never  dry  up  ! 

Henry  was  the  second  of  six  children,  and  the  oldest 
.son  of  Henry  C.  and  Almina  M.  Lobdell,  who  were  both 
natives  of  Fairfield  county,  and  both  live  to  mourn  the 
loss  of  their  first-born  son.  His  parents  were  poor,  and 
he  never  ceased  to  thank  God  for  their  poverty,  as  his 
safeguard  from  temptation,  and  the  spring  of  his  own  exer- 
tions. Both  are  persons  of  strongly  marked  character. 
His  father,  a comb-manufacturer,  is  a man  of  vigorous 
native  intellect,  resolute  will  and  thoughtful  spirit,  accus- 
tomed to  think  for  himself  on  every  subject,  not  excepting 
the  subject  of  religion.  He  would  seem  to  have  inherited 
a tendency  to  skepticism,  which  he  transmitted  to  his  son ; 
though  the  grace  of  God  triumphed  over  it,  (not  without 
a severe  struggle,)  in  the  son,  and  made  him  at  length  the 
instrument  of  counteracting  it  in  the  father.  His  mother 
unites  a strong  mind  with  lively  feelings.  She  is  a mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  a woman  of 
earnest  piety  and  uncommon  excellence ; and  her  fondest 
hopes  and  strongest  desires,  which  were  for  the  religious 
character  of  her  children,  have  been  realized,  in  a great 
measure  through  the  co-operation  and  influence  of  her 
eldest  son,  in  the'  hopeful  conversion  of  them  all. 

Henry  manifested  at  a very  early  age  an  active,  inquis- 
itive mind,  and  a determined  will  combined  with  an 
amiable  and  affectionate  disposition.  It  was  characteristic 
of  the  boy,  and  of  the  future  man  also,  that  he  ran  aw^ay, 
not  from  but  to  school,  when  he  was  two  and  a half  years 
old ; and  he  was  ever  after  among  the  foremost  in  his 
classes. 

But  from  early  childhood  he  was  taught  to  connect 
study  with  labor.  His  parents  were  dependent  upon  their 
own  daily  toil  for  the  sustenance  of  the  family,  and  it 
became  necessary  that  his  sujDport  should  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible cease  to  burden  them.  At  nine  years  old  he  begun 


EARLY  EDUCATION. 


IT 


to  help  himself,  by  doing  what  he  could  in  a neighboring 
field  and  shop.  At  ten,  he  was  placed  in  the  family  of  a 
farmer  in  Reading,  an  adjoining  town ; where  he  spent  six 
years,  working  <fn  the  farm  in  the  summer,  and  attending 
school  during  the  winter. 

He  never  loved  the  work  of  the  farm.  But  the  hard 
summer  toil  was  soon  forgotten  when  winter  came.  “ In 
the  winter  season,”  he  afterwards  wrote,  “ I feasted  my 
soul  with  the  books  I was  to  study,  and  all  the  works  in 
Mr.  C.’s  library,  from  Paris’  Pharmacology  and  the  Stat- 
utes of  Connecticut,  to  Marco  Polo’s  Adventures  and  the 
most  insignificant  advertisement  which  appeared  in  the 
Republican  Farmer.  Mr.  M.’s  family  lent  me  all  their 
Saturday  Couriers,  and  E.  H.  once  allowed  me  the  privi- 
lege of  looking  over  a Leipsic  edition  of  the  Greek 
Classics,  at  which  my  astonished  eyes  opened  wide.  An 
old  Ainsworth’s  Dictionary  was  loaned  me ; and  after 
bedtime  I worked  away  at  it  so  long  every  evening  in 
my  chamber,  that  my  guardians  at  length  forbade  my 
taking  a light  to  my  room  at  all.  This  made  me  ache.  I 
could  have  endured  the  tedious  labors  on  a rocky  farm,  if 
I could  only  have  had  books  enough  to  read  when  my 
work  was  done.” 

His  second  winter  in  Reading  he  always  considered  as 
an  era  in  his  life.  To  the  little  brick  school-house  of  the 
district  came  a teacher,  who  gave  him  a new  impulse 
towards  study,  a new  idea,  almost,  of  education  and  of 
himself.  Dr.  Lobdell  always  spoke  of  him  in  after  life 
with  great  esteem  and  affection.  “I  often  think,”  he  says  in 
reviewing  this  period,  “ I should  have  been  in  a very  differ- 
ent situation  and  a very  different  man,  if  I had  not  been 
instructed  by  him.  How  little  men  heed  their  influence. 
W e often  touch  unconsciously  springs  in  the  souls  of  men, 
which  put  them  in  motion  forever.  Mr.  II.  awakened 
thought  in  the  opening  minds  of  the  children  at  school 
with  me,  whose  effect  is  still  visible.  His  power  of  arous- 
2* 


18 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


in g the  mind  to  activity,  was  of  more  consequence  than 
the  amount  of  knowledge  communicated.  The  mind  was 
made  to  develop  itself,  like  the  plant,  from  within  out- 
wards. Heaping  knowledge  upon  it  often  serves  the  same 
purpose  as  ashes  over  a few  coals ; the  fire  may  be  pre- 
served, but  it  will  not  increase.  Perhaps  I was  never  so 
much  stimulated  to  toil  as  I was  in  that  little  school-house, 
by  the  offer  of  a beautiful  volume  to  the  pupil  who  should 
be  oftenest  at  the  head  of  his  class  in  spelling.  I think 
my  general  correctness  in  that  particular  now  is  owing 
very  much  to  the  exercises  of  that  winter.  I gained  the 
prize  — a Life  of  Washington  ! I little  thought,  then, 
that  it  would  go  with  me  across  the  ocean  and  sea  and  land 
to  Hineveli.  How  delighted  I was  to  walk  ten  miles  to 
Danbury,  with  that  dear  volume  in  my  pocket,  after  the 
last  day  of  that  winter’s  school ! I am  sure  I never 
gained  a prize  since,  that  did  me  half  so  much  good. 
Mother* was  delighted  to  see  me,  I well  remember,  and  it 
was  late  that  night  before  the  lids  of  Washington  were 
closed.” 

At  sixteen,  he  commenced  teaching  in  one  of  the  outer 
districts  of  his  native  town.  Though  so  young,  he  sus- 
tained the  customary  examinations  with  great  credit,  and 
elicited  the  warm  commendations  of  those  who  conducted 
them  : “ W ell  done,”  said  the  Committee  ; “ go  on  as  you 
have  begun,  and  you  will  soon  be  at  the  head  of  the  High 
School  at  the  Center.”  He  now  began  to  entertain 
thoughts  and  plans  which  he  had  never  before  dared  to 
cherish.  He  began  to  think  that  he  might  have  a different 
career  before  him  from  that  which  his  situation  in  earlier 
boyhood  had  seemed  to  promise.  Partly  from  prefer- 
ence, and  partly,  perhaps,  because  that  was  the  profession 
which  lay  most  within  his  reach,  he  determined  to  become 
a physician  ; and  with  characteristic  promptness  and  de- 
cision, he  entered  at  once  upon  the  study..  His  medical 
teacher  was  Dr.  II.  N.  Bennett,  who  lived  in  Bethel,  about 


STUDY  OF  MEDICINE. 


TO 


three  miles  from  the  place  where  he  was  teaching ; and 
the  doctor  has  often  expressed  his  surprise  and  gratifica- 
tion, alike,  at  the  self-denying  zeal  and  patience  with  which 
lie  pursued  the  study  under  such  disadvantageous  circum- 
stances, and  at  the  rapidity  and  accuracy  of  his  young 
pupil’s  attainments. 

“ It  was  when  he  was  seventeen,”  says  his  college  class- 
mate and  most  intimate  friend,*  “ that  I first  became 
acquainted  with  him.  He  was  then  rather  short,  very 
pale  and  thin,  and  already  having  a considerable  stoop  of 
head  and  shoulders.  I was  interested  in  him  from  the 
first ; and  it  was  not  long  before  we  became  very  intimate. 
I soon  learned  that  he  had  read  much,  and  had  formed 
opinions  upon  many  things,  which  he  was  very  positive 
in  asserting  and  maintaining.  His  judgment  once  formed 
upon  any  subject,  he  was  loth  to  abandon.  Upon  any- 
thing he  had  learned  and  clearly  understood,  he  knew  he 
was  not  apt  to  be  mistaken.  This  trait  never  left  him, 
though  it  was  never  repulsive.  Every  one  felt  that  when 
he  expressed  an  opinion  it  was  not  rashly  formed,  and 
could  not  therefore  be  hastily  relinquished.” 

“ During  his  seventeenth,  eighteenth  and  nineteenth 
years,  I saw  much  of  him.  Though  teaching  school  and 
studying  medicine,  he  managed  to  find  time  for  other 
pursuits.  He  became  greatly  interested  in  the  cause  of 
temperance ; and  frequently  lectured  on  the  subject  in  the 
school-houses  of  the  different  neighborhoods.  He  joined 
the  order  of  the  4 Sons  of  Tenyperance,’  of  which  his  father 
was  a prominent  member,  and  soon  took  an  active  and 
influential  part  in  their  proceedings.  He  was  active  in  the 
village  lyceums  and  debating  societies.  He  had  a great 
fondness  for  public  speaking;  and,  during  the  summer 
mornings,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  going  before  sunrise  to 

fiw* 

* Kev.  J.  II.  Seelye,  late  of  Schenectady,  now  Professor  Seclye,  of  Amherst 
College,  to  whom  the  author  is  chiefly  indebted  for  these  notices  of  Dr.  Lob- 
dell’s  early  life. 


20 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


the  woods  to  exercise  his  voice  in  reading  and  declama- 
tion. His  taste  for  mathematics  was  already  marked. 
Without  any  oral  instruction,  he  acquired  at  this  time  the 
elements  of  Algebra,  Geometry,  Trigonometry,  and  Sur- 
veying. Desirous  of  gaining  a situation  where  he  could 
carry  out  these  studies  more  fully,  and  add  to  them,  also, 
some  knowledge  of  Latin  and  Greek,  he  applied  for,  and 
obtained,  the  post  of  assistant  teacher  at  Danbury  Acade- 
my, of  which  Rev.  J.  R.  Irwin  was  then  principal.  This 
brought  him  in  connection  with  a wider  circle  of  men, 
and  gave  him  more  extended  hopes  and  higher  desires 
than  he  had  yet  cherished.” 

“ It  was  in  his  nineteenth  year  that  he  first  ventured  to 
think  of  entering  college.  The  thought  grew  up  in  our 
mutual  conferences,  and  was  cherished  as  something 
which  we  both  greatly  desired,  but  which  neither  of  us 
seemed  likely  to  realize.  He  had  no  pecuniary  means, 
and  there  was  no  one  upon  whom  he  could  rely  for  any 
assistance  in  this  direction.  Nevertheless,  he  did  not  dis- 
miss the  thought,  but  hoped,  and  even  believed,  that 
some  way  would  be  opened,  though  all  now  seemed  so 
dark.” 

In  the  Fall  Term  of  1845,  he  found  himself  a member 
of  the  Freshman  class  in  Amherst  College.  It  was  as 
surprising  to  himself,  almost,  as  it  was  to  his  friends.  He 
had  left  Danbury  in  Sej^tember  of  that  year,  under  an 
engagement  as  assistant  teacher  in  a new  school  about 
to  be  opened  in  Hartford.  The  success  of  the  enterprise 
did  not  equal  the  expectations  of  the  principal,  and  the 
engagement  was  of  necessity  relinquished.  Now,  what 
was  to  be  done  ? Away  from  home,  out  of  employment, 
with  about  twenty  dollars  in  money,  and  without  a friend 
in  the  world  to  whom  he  could  look  with  any  certainty 
for  another  dollar,  he  resolved  to  enter  college,  and  forth- 
with set  out  for  Amherst.  Such  was  his  hope  and  cour- 
age and  self-reliance,  at  this  early  age  : such,  it  should  be 


DIARY. 


21 


added,  was  his  trust  in  Providence,  when  as  yet  lie  had 
no  distinct,  conscious  hope  that  he  was  a Christian. 

His  diary,  which  lie  began  on  his  eighteenth  birth-day, 
presents  to  us  the  artless  yet  earnest  and  aspiring  boy  of 
this  period  in  a variety  of  interesting  aspects.  Now  he 
is  making  his  debut  before  a debating  society,  maintaining 
the  affirmative  of  the  question:  “Was  Mohammed  a 
greater  scourge  to  mankind  than  Napoleon  ? ” — an  opin- 
ion which  he  never  changed  in  his  subsequent  experience 
of  the  evils  of  Mohammedanism.  The  next  question  was, 
whether  Learning  or  Wealth  exerts  the  greater  influence? 
He,  of  course,  went  in  heartily  for  Learning.  And  in 
both  these  early  trials  of  his  strength  in  argument,  he 
records  the  result — “got  it  ” — with  a brevity  and  a pride 
not  inferior  to  that  with  which  a Caesar  wrote  his  famous 
“ veni , vidi , vici  ” to  the  Homan  Senate.  Ere  long,  he  is 
chosen  president  of  the  society ; and,  in  his  capacity  as 
umpire,  decides  that  the  saw-mill  has  been  a greater  bless- 
ing to  the  world  than  the  cotton-gin,  “ chiefly,”  as  he  says, 
“because  the  cotton-gin  has  been  the  means  of  perpetu- 
ating slavery,”  — where,  again,  his  life-long  hatred  to 
slavery  shows  that  “the  child  Avas  father  of  the  man.” 
Here  he  is  writing  “poetry  for  the  Danbury  Times;”  and 
there  he  is  inditing  a “letter  in  Greek,  Latin,  French,  and 
English  ” to  his  Lucy,  of  Avhich  he  “ preserved  a copy,”  — 
in  all  Avhich,  coming  events  are  only  casting  their  shadoAvs 
before.  To-day,  he  rolls  a AvheelbarroAV-load  of  Avood,  a 
long  and  weary  mile  or  more,  from  his  home  on  Grassy 
Plain  to  his  select  school  in  Bethel.  To-morroAV,  as  he 
Ausits  his  sylvan  study  in  the  early  morning,  and  makes 
the  rocks  and  woods  resound  Avith  his  impassioned  decla- 
mation, he  is  mistaken  for  a crazy  man  Avho  had  Avan- 
dered  aAvay  some  weeks  previous ; and  an  effort  is  set  on 
foot  to  capture  and  cage  him.  At  one  time,  he  registers 
his  hours  of  rising  and  retiring,  and  his  habits  of  reading 
and  study,  Avith  the  significant  addition,  which  the  reader 


22 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


will  please  to  remember  is  in  the  indicative,  and  not  in 
the  imperative,  mood : 44  Improve  every  moment.”  At 
another,  he  says : 44  The  desire  that  burns  within  me  to  be 
somebody,  grows  stronger  and  stronger.  There  is  some- 
thing in  my  nature  that  wants  to  go  out  and  up.”  One 
page  is  chiefly  occupied  with  his  religious  struggles  and 
conflicts.  The  next  is  full  of  his  hopes  and  fears,  encour- 
agements and  discouragements,  touching  the  great  ques- 
tion of  a public  education.  Sometimes  he  is  almost  ready 
to  despair ; and  thinks,  perhaps  he  might  as  well  go  at 
once  into  the  practice  of  medicine,  and,  in  the  course  of 
a year,  44  marry  Lucy  and  be  happy  ” But  hope  soon  re- 
turns, courage  prevails ; and  he  resolves  for  the  present 
to  woo  only  the  Muses,  and  ever  to  seek  a higher  end 
than  present  happiness. 

44 1 never  knew  a man,”  says  the  experienced  teacher 
with  whom  he  taught  and  at  the  same  time  pursued  his 
preparatory  studies  at  Danbury  Academy,  44  who  was  so 
little  disturbed  by  finding  obstacles  in  his  way ; he  ad- 
vanced so  fearlessly  upon  them,  and  grappled  so  resolutely 
with  them,  as  if  conscious  of  inherent  or  delegated  power 
to  overcome  them.  His  admiration  of  men  who  were 
noted  for  preeminent  talents  and  attainments,  kindled 
within  his  bosom  such  fervid  desires  for  a thorough  edu- 
cation as  swept  away  at  once  difficulties  that  have  de- 
terred many  a one  from  attempting  to  ascend  the  hill  of 
science.  Possessing  a physical  frame  capable  of  great 
endurance,  he  was  able  to  devote  from  twelve  to  sixteen 
hours  daily  to  close  study  without  experiencing  any  ap- 
parent injury.  His  perceptive  powers  were  quick;  his 
memory,  retentive  and  ready,  enabling  him  to  select  and 
lay  up  for  future  use  whatever  he  supposed  might  be  of 
advantage  in  coming  days.  If  he  met  with  any  article  in 
the  course  of  his  reading  which  he  regarded  as  superior 
to  most  writers  on  the  same  subject,  he  would  copy  into 
a memorandum-book,  kept  for  this  purpose,  either  the 
entire  article  or  a well-digested  epitome.” 


CHAPTER  III. 


Early  Religious  Character  — Skeptical  Doubts  and  Difficulties  — Counteract- 
ing Christian  Influences  — Conversion  — Decides  at  the  same  time  to  be  a 
Minister  — Commences  at  once  an  active  Christian  Life. 

It  was  never  in  the  nature  of  Dr.  Lobdell  to  take  any- 
thing on  the  mere  authority  of  others.  He  always  wished 
to  hear  or  read  both  sides  of  a controverted  subject,  to 
sift  the  evidence,  and  then  to  decide  for  himself.  He  was 
an  independent  thinker  in  literature,  politics,  and  all  the 
affairs  of  this  life.  He  could  not,  therefore,  be  exj^ected 
to  accept  the  truths  of  religion  without  investigation. 
His  parents,  as  we  have  already  seen,  differed  in  their  re- 
ligious opinions ; and  while  he  felt  strongly  the  power  of 
a mother’s  prayers,  and  tears,  and  Christian  life,  he  could 
not  but  imbibe  more  or  less  of  the  influence,  silent  and 
unintentional  though  it  was,  of  his  father’s  skej^tical  bias. 
The  tendency  to  doubts  and  difficulties,  which  thus  grew 
naturally  out  of  his  circumstances  and  early  education, 
and  which  was  perhaps  inherited  in  part  as  a constitu- 
tional tendency,  was,  unfortunately,  strengthened  by  the 
evil  influence  of  certain  companions  of  his  boyhood,  older 
than  himself,  who  were  in  the  habit  of  ridiculing  and 
denouncing  all  religion.  Books  of  an  irreligious  and  skej)- 
tical  character  were  placed  in  his  hands  and  eagerly  de- 
voured. They  took  strong  hold  of  his  mind,  and  their 
influence  never  entirely  left  him.  They  not  only  acted  as 
a powerful  hindrance  to  his  conversion,  but  their  poison 
operated  afterwards  through  all  his  spiritual  life.  He 
could  never  shake  off  their  hold.  In  college,  in  the  theo- 
logical seminary,  and  on  missionary  ground,  these  early 


24 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


thoughts  would  sometimes  disturb  the  serenity  of  his 
most  sacred  hours. 

But  there  were  strong  counteracting  influences  within 
and  around  him,  which  were  destined,  under  the  provi- 
dence and  the  grace  of  God,  to  make  him  a Christian,  a 
Christian  minister,  and  a Christian  missionary.  He  read 
good  books  with  more  frequency  and  avidity  than  bad 
ones.  The  lives  of  good  men  had  an  especial  charm  for 
him.  These  showed  him  the  power  of  vital  godliness. 
The  history  of  the  Christian  church  pointed  him  to  Chris- 
tianity as  the  fountain  of  whatever  is  most  godlike  in 
human  action.  And  even  the  history  of  Christian  nations 
led  him  to  the  same  holy  religion,  as  the  source  of  their 
superiority  to  other  nations.  The  Bible  was  not  only  his 
reading,  but  his  study.  He  had  read  it  through  in  one  of 
the  early  years  of  his  residence  on  the  farm  in  Reading,  and 
it  was  never  afterwards  neglected.  A large  Bible-class  was 
formed  among  the  young  people  at  Bethel ; of  which  he 
was  a constant  attendant  and  a deeply  interested  mem- 
ber. He  was  regular  in  his  attendance  on  the  weekly 
prayer-meetings,  as  well  as  on  the  worship  of  the  Sabbath 
and  the  sanctuary. 

Good  as  well  as  evil  companions  threw  their  influence 
around  him.  The  young  man  of  whom  we  have  already 
spoken  as  his  most  intimate  friend,  was  already  a decided 
Christian  when  they  first  formed  the  acquaintance ; and 
to  his  Christian  faithfulness,  with  the  blessing  of  God, 
Dr.  Lobdell  always  attributed  his  salvation.  “After  meet- 
ing, J.  H.  S.  came  almost  home  with  me,  and  urged  me  very 
strongly  to  seek  religion.  We  ‘talked  for  about  an  hour.  I 
went  home  shedding  tears  and  crying  to  God.”  “ J.  IX.  S. 
tells  me  I must  study  theology ; says  it  is  my  duty.  I 
have  some  very  serious  thoughts  about  it,  and  sincerely 
wish  to  be  guided  in  the  path  of  duty.”  Such  entries  are 
not  unfrequent  in  his  diary.  And  when  he  is  on  the  eve 
of  parting  with  his  friend  for  some  months,  and  going  to 


A TRUE  FRIEND. 


25 


Hartford,  lie  says:  “How  often  has  my  dear  friend,  ,T.  IT. 
S.,  spoken  to  me  on  the  all-important  subject  of  securing 
my  salvation  ! How  often  have  I expressed  the  wish  that 
I may  be  convinced  of  the  truth  of  religion ! Oh,  may  I 
soon  be  brought  to  view  these  things  aright ! ” Such  per- 
severing personal  efforts  to  win  souls  to  Christ  are  seldom 
without  their  reward ; nor  were  they  destined  in  this  in- 
stance to  prove  fruitless. 

Young  Lobdcll  was  remarkably  candid  and  conscien- 
tious. Long  before  the  time  at  which  he  was  accustomed 
to  date  his  conversion,  it  was  among  the  deepest  desires 
of  his  heart  to  know  the  truth,  and  to  do  his  duty,  in  the 
great  matter  of  religion.  “ Many  were  the  wishes  I had,” 
he  says,  as  he  read  on  both  sides,  and  looked  at  the  sub- 
ject from  opposite  points  of  view,  “that  I might  know 
the  truth.  I am  not  even  prepared  to  admit  that  the 
Bible  is  true.  If  it  is,  which  I am  determined  to  find  out 
if  possible,  I can  see  no  excuse  for  not  becoming  a Chris- 
tian, and  making  a public  profession  of  religion.”  There 
was  never  such  a wide  chasm  between  faith  and  practice, 
between  the  creed  and  the  conduct,  in  Dr.  Lobdell,  as 
there  is  in  too  many.  With  him,  to  be  convinced  of  the 
truth  was  to  endeavor  at  least  to  obey  it.  He  had  but 
to  know  his  duty,  and  he  would  at  once  make  an  effort 
for  its  performance.  As  his  understanding  could  not  rest 
without  ascertaining  the  truth,  so  his  conscience  and  his 
whole  nature  forbade  him  to  hold  the  truth  without  at- 
tempting to  obey  it. 

He  had  a strong  desire  to  be  useful ; and  for  some  time 
before  he  cherished  any  personal  hope  in  Christ,  the  ques- 
tion would  often  arise,  whether  the  Christian  ministry  was 
not '■the  sphere  in  which  he  could  do  the  most  good.  He 
felt  his  need  of  a Saviour,  — of  such  a Saviour  as  was  re- 
vealed in  the  gospel  of  Christ.  He  saw  that,  without  the 
gospel,  men  everywhere  were  miserable ; and  that  a cor- 
dial embrace  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  was  just  the 
8 


MEMOlli  OF  LOJ3DELL. 


20 


remedy  which  they  needed,  — just  the  influence,  and  the 
only  influence,  that  could  elevate  them  and  make  them 
happy.  And  he  already  envied  the  life  and  coveted  the 
usefulness  of  those  who  were  wise  to  win  souls : “ Read 
the  life  of  Harlan  Page,  and  was  cheered  by  the  recital 
of  his  manner  of  doing  good.  lie  was  a Christian . By 
the  grace  of  God,  he  was  the  means  of  saving  about  a 
hundred  souls.  O,  what  a treasure ! Can  not  I work  in 
the  same  way  ? Will  I not  ? O God ! tell  me  what 
course  to  pursue.  If  I am  a physician,  I am  determined 
to  use  every  opportunity  in  trying  to  save  sinners.”  This 
was  written  while,  as  yet,  he  had  no  conscious  hope  of  his 
own  salvation.  His  heart  was  clearly  in  advance  of  his 
head.  The  spirit  of  faith  and  love  had  already  outrun 
the  convictions  of  his  understanding.  This  is,  perhaps, 
still  more  apparent  in  the  following  extract  from  his  diary, 
written  a few  days  later,  amid  the  perplexities  that  came 
upon  him  at  Hartford.  After  hearing  Dr.  Hawes  on  the 
Sabbath,  he  says : “ Oh  that  I could  always  hear  such 
preaching,  and  that  I could  now  talk  with  him  in  private 
on  religion ! I feel  the  need  of  a Saviour,  but  am  not  yet 
entirely  convinced  of  the  reality  of  the  Christian  scheme. 
Oh  that  I may  have  my  mind  soon  settled  on  this  sub- 
ject ! It  seems  as  if  misfortunes,  cares  and  many  difficul- 
ties were  now  before  me  ; but  I look  to  the  sufferings  of 
Christ , and  murmur  not .”  The  sufferings  of  Christ  had 
a practical  power  to  comfort  his  heart,  before  his  intellect 
was  fully  persuaded  of  their  nature  and  their  divine 
efficacy. 

Under  the  same  trials,  and  indeed  under  others  of  a 
still  earlier  date,  he  shows  a full  belief  and  a real  trust  in 
the  providence  of  God.  On  leaving  home  to  go  to  Hart- 
ford, he  says : “ Have  some  sorrowful  thoughts,  but  almost 
believe  that  I am  directed  by  my  God ; and  that,  in  the 
end,  the  loss  of  some  j)resent  enjoyment  will  be  amply 
compensated.  It  seems  as  if  I could  trace  the  workings 


RELIGIOUS  EXPERIENCE. 


27 


of  that  almighty  hand  in  directing  me  in  the  course  of  life 
I have  hitherto  pursued.”  And  when  difficulties  thicken 
about  him,  and  his  hopes  are  dashed,  and  darkness  and 
uncertainty  cover  the  future,  he  resolves  to  “ banish 
despondency,”  and  “ believes  that  all  will  be  for  the  best.” 
lie  might  well  trust  providence.  He  had  been  led  from 
early  childhood  in  a way  that  he  knew  not,  and  provided 
for  in  a manner  that  he  thought  not  of,  by  a heavenly 
Father’s  hand.  And  now  the  same  kind  and  paternal 
providence  was  leading  him  through  thick  darkness  to 
marvellous  light,  — was  pressing  him,  as  it  were,  through 
narrow  straits  into  a broad  and  open  place. 

And  with  the  providence  of  God,  the  Sjoirit  of  God 
was  manifestly  cooperating,  convincing  him  of  his  weak- 
ness, ignorance  and  guilt,  showing  him  his  need  of  a 
divine  Guide  and  Teacher,  as  well  as  an  Almighty  Saviour, 
subduing  his  will,  leading  him  to  a more  childlike  trust  in 
God,  teaching  him  to  find  comfort  and  hope  at  the  cross 
of  Christ,  drawing  out  his  compassion  for  the  souls  of 
men,  and  exciting  in  him  longing  desires  to  be  instru- 
mental of  their  salvation.  In  these  various  states  of 
mind,  which  are  sufficiently  apparent  in  the  above  ex- 
tracts, and  more  apparent  after  reading  the  whole  diary, 
we  can  not  but  see  the  evidence, — and  we  think  our  read- 
ers will  agree  with  us  in  the  conclusion,  — that  he  was 
already  taught  of  God,  already  born  of  the  Spirit,  already 
under  the  influence  of  a sincere  love  to  Christ  and  to  the 
souls  of  men,  before  he  was  conscious  of  the  exercise  of  a 
saving  faith,  or  cherished  any  personal  hope  of  an  interest 
in  the  great  salvation.  In  a letter  which  he  found  time  to 
write  to  his  friend  Seely e,  the  very  day  he  entered  college, 
he  says  : “ I wish  I could  see  it  to  be  my  duty  to  prepare 
for  the  ministry ; but  I can  not  yet.  Heaven,  hell,  eter- 
nity, are  continually  before  my  view.  I am  fully  per- 
suaded that  no  man,  unless  a Christian,  ever  did  his  full 
duty  and  obeyed  his  God.  ...  If  there  ever  was  a being 


28 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


who  wished  both  to  know  what  is  right  and  to  do  his 
duty,  it  is  I.  Not  a day  passes  but  a feeble  voice  ascends 
to  God.  But  I have  sometimes  feared  it  is  all  mockery, 
from  the  want  of  confiding  faith.  May  this  not  long  be 
so,  is  my  humble  prayer.” 

Every  day’s  observation  confirms  the  teaching  of  Scrip- 
ture, that  “ there  are  diversities  of  operations,  but  the 
same  Spirit.”  The  three  great  questions  — the  truth  of 
Christianity,  his  personal  interest  in  it,  and  the  consecra- 
tion of  himself  to  the  Christian  ministry,  were  together 
pressed  home  upon  the  mind  and  heart  of  young  Lobdell 
by  the  providence  and  the  Spirit  of  God ; and  neither  of 
them  was  so  settled  as  to  give  him  any  peace  or  satisfac- 
tion, till  they  were  all  resolved  together ; and  that,  not  as 
he  fondly  flattered  himself,  not  as  men  in  general  would 
logically  infer,  not  perhaps  as  Christian  men  would  gen- 
erally expect,  — not  by  first  working  out  the  problem  of 
the  evidences  of  Christianity,  and  then  settling  the  ques- 
tion of  his  personal  faith  and  salvation,  and,  last  of  all, 
dedicating  himself  to  the  service  of  Christ  in  his  gospel ; — 
but  if  there  was  any  priority,  the  process  was  in  the 
reverse  order.  He  first  deliberately  resolved  to  make  it 
the  great  business  of  his  life  to  preach  Jesus  Christ  and 
him  crucified,  to  dying  men.  Then,  and  not  till  then,  did 
he  experience  all  the  preciousness  of  that  Saviour  to  his 
own  soul ; and  in  that  blissful  experience  his  doubts  and 
difficulties  vanished,  like  darkness  and  mist  before  the 
rising  sun.  Even  so  our  Saviour  taught,  that  “ he  who 
doeth  his  vrill  shall  know  of  the  doctrine , whether  it  be 
of  God.”  And  so  in  all  his  future  life,  when  these  doubts 
and  difficulties  would  return  upon  him,  .like  a strong  man 
armed,  as  they  sometimes  did  even  on  missionary  ground, 
and  he  could  neither  reason  them  down  nor  will  them 
down,  he  would  turn  his  back  upon  them,  and  lose  sight 
and  thought  of  them  in  doing  the  will  of  his  divine 
Master. 


THE  JOY  OF  CONVERSION. 


29 


Ilis  feelings  were  always  exuberant,  and  his  joy  at  the 
great  change  which  now  came  over  him  was  thus  ex- 
pressed in  a letter  to  his  friend,  bearing  date,  Amherst 
College,  October  15th,  1845  : “ Could  you  have  a knowl- 
edge of  my  feelings  at  the  present  time,  I am  confident 
that  joy  and  gladness  would  brighten  your  countenance, 
as  much  as  grief  and  pain  may  formerly  have  darkened  it. 
Oh ! never,  my  dear  friend,  shall  I forget  your  kindness 
towards  me  in  pointing  me  to  that  Saviour  who  has  bled 
and  died  for  me.  It  is  by  your  instrumentality,  to  all  hu- 
man appearance,  that  I have  been  rescued  from  the  yawn- 
ing gulf  of  eternal  misery.  Rescued,  do  I say  ? Y es,  yes, 
Julius,  I have  at  length  consecrated  myself  to  the  service 
of  my  God.  Praise  him  that  he  has  looked  down  in 
mercy,  and  drawn  me  by  his  omnipotent  power  to  give 
myself  away  to  him.  How  strange  it  was,  as  you  say, 
that  I did  not  yield  to  the  strivings  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
which  troubled  my  guilty  conscience  from  day  to  day. 
But,  thank  God,  I have  been  permitted  to  hope  that  I am 
saved  from  the  eternal  world  of  wo.  I trust  I shall  ever 
praise  him  that  I was  not  sent  to  the  judgment  seat 
before  I made  my  peace  with  him.  . . . Millions  of 

human  beings  I see  in  imagination  standing  on  or  hurry- 
ing over  the  brink  of  that  precipice,  which  leads  to  the 
eternal  world  of  wo.  Each  has  an  immortal  soul.  What 
a thought ! Oh  the  value  of  a soul ! Can  I be  the  instru- 
ment of  saving  one  from  the  misery  that  seems  to  await 
it  ? I will  try.  I have  determined,  heedless  of  the 
pleasure  I had  anticipated  of  soon  being  quietly  settled  in 
life,  and  living  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  world,  to  devote 
myself  to  the  interests  of  Christianity.  The  only  question 
with  me  is,  how  can  I do  the  most  good  ? Is  it  by  preach- 
ing publicly  ? If  so,  and  I shall  remain  convinced,  as  I 
now  am,  I mean  to  do  it.” 

The  reader  will,  perhaps,  be  struck  with  the  peculiar 
vividness  with  which  “ the  eternal  world  of  wo  ” seems  to 
8* 


30  MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 

be  set  before  the  mind  of  the  writer  of  this  letter.  Aside 
from  the  lively  joy  of  his  own  rescue,  this  peculiarity  is, 
perhaps,  explained  by  the  fact,  that  the  doctrine  of 
future  and  eternal  punishment  had  long  been  to  him 
a subject  of  peculiar  difficulty.  He  read  and  thought 
and  reasoned  much  on  the  subject,  up  to  the  time 
of  his  hopeful  conversion.  The  first  interview  which 
the  writer  of  these  pages  had  with  him  soon  after  the 
great  change  in  his  views  and  feelings,  had  for  its  object, 
chiefly,  to  ask  for  the  manuscript  of  a sermon  which 
the  writer  had  jweached  in  the  college  chapel  the  previous 
Sabbath  on  this  subject.  The  text  was  in  Rev.  xix.,  3 : 
“ And  again  they  said,  Alleluia.  And  her  smoke  rose  up 
forever  and  ever;”  and  the  doctrine  of  the  discourse  was, 
that  the  everlasting  destruction  of  the  wicked  is  a needful 
vindication  of  divine  justice  ; and  as  such,  all  holy  beings 
will  approve  and  rejoice  in  it,  as  all  good  citizens  rejoice 
at  the  infliction  of  condign  punishment  on  the  transgres- 
sors of  the  law  of  the  land.  Lobdell  took  the  sermon  to 
his  room,  read  and  copied  it,  and  expressed  his  cordial 
acquiescence  in  the  sentiment.  From  the  time  when  this 
doctrine  of  revelation  became  a part  of  his  acce]3ted  creed, 
it  was  not,  as  it  is  with  many  professed  believers,  an  idle 
tale  or  a practical  nonentity,  but  a vivid  and  dreadful 
reality.  An  endless  hell  was  ever  before  him  just  as  real 
as  an  eternal  heaven,  and  he  believed  and  acted  upon  the 
belief  that  it  was  the  certain  and  inevitable  doom  of  all 
who  die  without  a saving  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

It  was  only  a short  time  after  this  great  change  in  his 
feelings,  that  with  characteristic  promptness  and  decision 
he  made  a public  profession  of  his  faith  in  Christ.  Seldom 
does  the  first  term  of  the  year  pass  away  in  Amherst  Col- 
lege without  some  hopeful  conversions,  and  some  addi- 
tions from  the  world  to  the  church,  especially  in  the 
Freshman  class.  It  is  partly,  perhaps,  the  natural  result 
of  the  new  and  trying  circumstances  in  which  they  are 


PUBLIC  PROFESSION  OF  RELIGION. 


31 


placed.  Away  from  home  and  friends,  cast  perhaps  for 
the  first  time  on  their  own  resources,  and  exposed  to 
temptations  and  dangers,  it  is  natural  that  they  should 
feel,  as  they  never  did  before,  their  need  of  an  all-wise 
friend  and  an  almighty  protector.  And  when,  besides 
this,  they  hear  faithful  preaching  and  come  under  the 
influence  of  faithful  Christian  friends,  they  are  not  unfre- 
quently  led  to  repentance  and  eternal  life.  It  was  on  the 
9th  of  November,  1845,  that,  with  four  others,  Lobdell 
was  proposed  for  admission  to  the  church ; on  the  23d 
of  the  same  month,  this  little  band  of  young  Christians 
stood  up  before  the  whole  college,  and  avouched  the  Lord 
Jehovah  to  be  their  God,  and  publicly  dedicated  them- 
selves forever  to  his  service.  Lobdell  and  one  other  were 
baptized  into  the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost.  It  was  one  of  those  seasons  of  solemn 
interest  and  sacred  joy,  of  which  there  have  been  so  many 
in  the  history  of  this  Christian  college,  long  to  be  remem- 
bered by  those  who  have  witnessed  them,  and  whose 
influence  has  been  felt  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  will 
be  to  the  end  of  time,  and  through  the  ages  of  eternity. 
The  feelings  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir  on  those  event- 
ful Sabbaths  are  thus  recorded  in  his  diary : “ Scarcely 
ever  have  such  feelings  filled  my  breast.  Oh  the  good- 
ness of  God  towards  me  ! What  sweet  communion  with 
him  have  I this  day  enjoyed.  How  willing  am  I to  live 
and  endure  any  privations  for  the  advancement  of  his 
cause.  I lean  on  the  arm  of  Christ  for  support,  feeling 
that  my  own  strength  is  but  weakness.  Oh  that  I may 
be  the  means,  with  the  help  of  God,  of  saving  all  my  rela- 
tions and  dear  friends  from  death  eternal ! If  I ever  utter 
a sincere  prayer,  it  is  when  I cry  to  God  for  their  salva- 
tion. May  I be  the  means  of  doing  much  good  to  my 
fellow-students.  Let  my  heart  be  warm  in  the  service  of 
God.  May  I have  grace  to  support  me  in  every  duty 
now  especially  devolved  upon  me.” 


82 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


The  sincerity  of  these  prayers  was  evinced  in  imme- 
diate and  constant  efforts,  by  private  conversation,  by 
public  exhortations,  and  by  epistolary  correspondence,  to 
win  his  fellow-students,  his  relations,  and  other  friends  to 
the  knowledge  and  obedience  of  that  truth  which  he  had 
found  so  precious  in  his  own  happy  experience. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


College  Life  — Variety  of  Character  — Mental  Excitement  — Engaged  in 
Teaching  — High  Rank  as  a Scholar  — Received  as  a Beneficiary  of  the 
American  Education  Society  — Economy  — Faithfulness  in  all  College 
Studies  — Habits  of  Study — Prize  Essay  — Reading  — Manner  of  Read- 
ing-Writing and  Speaking  — College  Societies  — Total  Abstinence  — 
Prayer  Meetings  — Secret  Prayer  — Meditation  — The  Bible  and  the  Sab- 
bath — Christian  Life  — Relation  to  Teachers  and  Fellow-Students  — Chris- 
tian Motives  in  Study  — Personal  Efforts  for  the  Salvation  of  Sinners  — In- 
terest in  Revivals — Vacations  — Usefulness  in  Teaching  — At  South  Am- 
herst—In  New  London  — The  ill-fated  Atlantic  — At  Old  Hadley  — In 
New  York  City  — Interested  in  and  adapted  to  the  West — Decision  to  be  a 
Foreign  Missionary  — Letter  to  his  Mother. 


College  life  is  proverbially  subject  to  fixed  laws;  to 
usages  which  have  come  down  from  antiquity,  and  there- 
fore can  not  easily  change  with  times  and  circumstances ; to 
rules  which  are  enacted  for  the  government  of  many,  and 
therefore  can  not  safely  bend  to  the  caprice  or  the  genius 
of  single  individuals.  To  the  superficial  looker-on,  it 
might  well  appear  as  monotonous  as  the  college  bell,  by 
which  it  is  regulated;  as  stereotype  as  the  text-books,  to 
whose  mastery  it  is  devoted.  The  same  unvarying  routine 
of  prayers,  meals,  study  hours,  and  recitations,  from  day  to 
day  and  week  to  week,  term  after  term  and  year  after 
year,  might  seem  to  furnish  little  scope  for  genius  and 
originality,  little  room  for  incident  and  variety,  and  still 
less  for  adventure  and  romance.  But  one  who  looks  be- 
neath the  surface  can  see  no  less  variety  of  character  and 
conduct,  no  less  of  heroic  achievement,  and  scarcely  less  of 
what  is  sometimes  called  romance  in  real  life,  in  the  little 
secluded  college  community,  than  in  the  great  Avorld  by 
which  it  is  surrounded.  The  public  are  sufficiently  famil- 
iar with  stories  of  college  pranks  and  tricks.  These  are 
stereotype  indeed.  They  have  been  retailed  and  detailed 


84 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


and  exaggerated  by  the  tongue  and  by  the  pen  of  those 
heroes  of  their  own  tales,  who  often  have  nothing  else  to 
tell  of  their  achievements,  till  too  many  outside  of  college 
walls  have  scarcely  any  other  associations  with  college 
life,  than  of  nocturnal  adventures,  sophomoric  forays  and 
tutorial  reprisals.  But  there  is,  in  fact,  a great  deal  of 
quite  another  sort  of  genius,  and  of  heroism  too,  which 
passes  unobserved  by  the  common  eye,  and  seldom  reaches 
the  ear  of  the  j^ublic.  There  is  the  ring  and  the  flash 
which  show  the  true  metal,  when  “Greek  meets  Greek” 
in  private  discussion  or  public  debate,  in  the  study,  in  the 
literary  society,  or  in  the  lecture-room.  There  is  that 
marvelous  mental  activity,  that  almost  perpetual  effer- 
vescence of  wit  and  genius,  which  results  from  the  com- 
bined action  of  so  many  youthful  minds  on  such  fruitful 
subjects,  and  which  explains  the  unquestionable  fact,  that 
so  many  of  the  great  discoveries  and  movements  that  have 
changed  the  current  of  human  history,  have  originated  in 
the  university.  There  are  heroic  conflicts,  not  only  with 
ignorance  and  indolence  and  temptation,  but  with  poverty, 
and  discouragement,  and  difficulties  of  every  kind.  There 
are  mighty  struggles,  not  only  for  superiority  to  others,  but 
for  a far  nobler  victory  over  self.  There  are  high  aspira- 
tions, not  for  rank  and  distinction  merely,  but  for  true 
scholarship  and  moral  excellence. 

Henry  Lobdell  felt  the  power  of  all  these  circumstances 
and  motives  pressing  upon  his  excitable  mind,  and  stirring 
him  to  unwonted  activity.  He  expatiated  in  the  broad 
field  of  college  studies  and  college  life,  as  in  a new  world. 
He  exulted  in  the  consciousness  of  new  powers.  “Oh! 
how  I prize  my  privileges  in  college,”  he  exclaims,  as  soon 
as  he  began  to  enjoy  them.  And  as  daily  collision  with 
teachers  and  fellow-students  elicited  daily  more  and  more 
the  consciousness  of  intellectual  life;  as  new  subjects,  com- 
ing continually  before  him,  awakened  in  him  a never-end- 
ing succession  of  new  ideas;  as  his  ardent  and  aspiring 


COLLEGE  STRUGGLES. 


35 


mind  caught  eagerly  new  discoveries  and  teemed  with 
new  projects,  lie  was  ready  not  only  to  cry  out,  “I  have 
found  it,”  with  the  self-gratulation  of  the  ancient  philoso- 
pher of  Syracuse,  but  with  something  like  the  benevolence 
of  the  Christian,  to  say  to  others,  “Come  and  see;”  come 
and  enjoy  it  with  me;  this  is  the  place  for  calling  a man’s 
faculties  into  vigorous  and  joyous  action.  He  soon  had 
his  friend  Seelye  with  him  for  a classmate,  and  at  length 
for  a roommate ; and  it  was  not  long  before  a number  of 
kindred  spirits,  attracted  by  him  from  his  native  “Fair- 
field,”  shone  around  him  as  a constellation  of  bright  stars 
in  the  institution. 

But  his  college  life  was  far  from  flowing  in  a smooth 
and  untroubled  stream.  It  was  rather  a continual  strug- 
gle with  wind  and  tide.  He  had  not  been  in  college  a 
week,  before  his  bank — his  “ Danbury  JBcmk ,”  as  he  face- 
tiously calls  it — was  reduced  to  five  dollars  capital  and 
deposits;  and  before  his  first  term  closed  he  was  obliged 
to  suspend  specie  payments.  His  first  vacation  replen- 
ished it  somewhat  by  teaching.  But  before  the  end  of  his 
Freshman  year,  his  resources  were  again  exhausted,  and 
he  was  in  debt.  Again  he  had  recourse  to  teaching,  that 
standing  resort — would  that  we  could  say,  never-failing 
resource — of  poor  students,  to  which  they  betake  themselves 
— for  much  the  same  purpose,  it  would  seem,  for  which 
the  old  Greek  philosophers  frequented  the  courts  of  princes, 
viz.:  “to  give  what  they  have,  and  to  get  what  they  have 
not .”  Finding  his  services  in  demand,  and  not  feeling  in 
any  very  imminent  peril  of  overstocking  his  bank,  he  con- 
tinued to  teach  through  two  entire  terms  of  his  Sophomore 
year.  On  his  return  to  college  at  the  commencement  of 
the  third  term,  such  was  his  industry,  and  such  his  facility 
of  learning,  he  was  already  prepared  for  immediate  exami- 
nation in  Latin  and  mathematics.  His  Greek  was  deferred 
and  made  up  during  the  fall  vacation.  He  went  on  through 
the  Junior  year  without  any  interruption,  though  his 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


30 

straits  at  times  occasioned  him  much  perplexity ; and 
he  resorted  to  all  the  lawful  means , between  the  two  ex- 
tremes of  digging  and  begging,  to  obtain  the  needful  sup- 
ply. Like  the  two  young  men  of  whom  we  read  in  the 
history  of  one  of  the  minor  Socratic  schools  of  philosophy, 
he  would  grind  corn  in  the  prison  by  night,  if  he  might 
thereby  procure  the  means  to  study  by  day;  but  he  must, 
at  all  events,  study  and  seek  after  wisdom.  “An  educa- 
tion I will  have,”  he  wrote  his  father,  “cost  what  it  may. 
It  looks  pretty  dark  ahead  sometimes;  but  a little  further 
on,  it  looks  bright  enough  to  compensate  for  it  all  ” He 
sold  books  and  periodicals.  He  wrote  for  the  newspapers 
and  magazines.  He  competed  for  prizes  in  and  out  of 
college,  with  various  success.  But  he  coveted  time  even 
more  than  money.  And  for  the  sake  of  saving  a year  in 
professional  study,  and  thus  entering  so  much  sooner  the 
missionary  field,  not  content  with  the  incessant  labors  and 
excitements  already  superadded  to  his  studies  in  college, 
in  November,  1848,  before  the  close  of  the  first  term  of  his 
Senior  year,  he  went  to  New  York  and  attended  a course 
of  medical  lectures.  Finally  he  was  absent  from  college 
a part  of  the  last  term  of  the  same  year,  teaching,  that  he 
might  be  able  to  pay  his  bills  at  Commencement. 

When  he  looked  back  from  his  missionary  station  and 
saw  at  what  an  expense  of  health  and  strength,  as  well  as 
knowledge  and  culture,  this  saving  of  time  was  iiurchased, 
he  disapproved  of  this  haste,  and,  as  we  shall  see  more  fully 
hereafter,  advised  his  younger  brother  to  abridge  nothing 
from  the  entire  college  course.  But  notwithstanding  these 
repeated  absences,  amounting  in  all  to  more  than  an  entire 
year  of  the  regular  curriculum,  so  remarkable  was  his 
power  of  concentration  and  rapid  acquisition,  that  lie  was 
graduated  with  a very  high  rank  in  a class  distinguished 
for  talents  and  scholarship ; and  his  oration  at  the  Com- 
mencement of  1849  was  not  only  received  with  marked 


ECONOMY. 


37 


applause  by  the  audience,  but  noticed  with  special  com- 
mendation in  the  public  journals. 

In  common  with  no  inconsiderable  proportion  of  our 
best  ministers  and  missionaries,  Lobdell  was  a beneficiary 
of  the  American  Education  Society.  This  was  a trial  to 
his  naturally  proud  and  independent  spirit.  Like  the 
great  missionary  explorer  of  Central  Africa,  whom  he  re- 
sembled in  some  of  the  leading  traits  of  his  character,  and 
whose  career  would  have  had  for  him  many  attractions, 
he  would  rather  have  made  his  way  unassisted  and  alone. 
But  he  submitted  to  receive  aid,  not  only  as  a necessary 
means  of  saving  time,  but  as  a needful  lesson  in  the  school 
of  humility.  Economy  was  not  natural  to  him.  It  was  a 
virtue  which  was  not  born  in  him,  and  which  it  was  never 
quite  easy  for  him  to  practise.  He  was  naturally  gener- 
ous, not  to  say  lavish,  of  money.  lie  could  not  resist  the 
temptation  to  buy  books.  He  must  have  food  for  his 
craving  intellect.  He  would  have  the  tools  for  doing  well 
his  appointed  work.  He  never  could  withhold  the  hand 
of  charity,  when  the  needy  object  was  before  his  eyes. 
He  seemed  to  love  others  better  than  himself.  While 
struggling  with  poverty  himself,  he  would  relieve  the  ne- 
cessities of  the  widow  and  the  fatherless  whom  he  knew 
in  Amherst,  or  the  destitute  strangers  whom  he  met  in  his 
walks  through  the  haunts  of  wretchedness  in  the  city  of 
Hew  York.  “Dec.  3d,  1847 : Went  into  a hotel  in  Broad- 
way. A little,  fine-looking  boy  came  in  to  sell  toothpicks. 
Poor,  but  bright.  Gave  him  enough  to  send  him  to  school 
a week,  which  he  said  he  would  devote  to  that  object. 
Evening  School — cost  three  cents  a night.  Poor  boy! 
would  I could  take  and  educate  you.  I know  you  would 
do  well.  But  I can  hardly  get  along  myself.”  This  is  by 
no  means  the  only  or  the  most  striking  instance  of  the 
kind  that  might  be  gleaned  from  his  college  diary.  But 
he  never  lavished  money  needlessly  on  himself.  Both 
money  and  time  he  could  put  to  a better  use  than  in 
4 


O' 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


catering  to  his  appetites.  He  wasted  no  dollars  in  riding, 
no  shillings  in  oysters  and  ice  creams,  no  cents  in  nuts  and 
candies.  He  often  walked  more  or  less  on  his  way  to  and 
from  college,  sometimes  rode  in  second-class  cars,  and  gen- 
erally went  on  foot  when  he  had  occasion  to  visit  places 
in  the  vicinity.  He  boarded  most  of  the  time  in  a club, 
where  he  could  live  cheap,  though  in  so  doing  he  was 
obliged  to  separate  himself  from  some  of  his  best  friends, 
who  were  able  to  board  in  private  families. 

He  was  not  only  a talented  and  successful,  but,  what  is 
a higher  and  perhaps  rarer  excellence,  a conscientious 
and  faithful  student.  Next  to  God  and  his  own  soul,  his 
lessons  received  the  first  attention.  His  business  in  col- 
lege was  to  pursue  college  studies ; and  with  this  primary 
duty,  he  never  suffered  toil  and  anxiety  for  pecuniary 
means,  much  less  idle  talk  or  present  gratification  of  what- 
ever kind,  to  interfere.  While  on  college  ground,  he  was 
never  absent  or  tardy  at  a college  exercise.  His  hours  of 
study  and  recreation,  though  of  the  latter  he  allowed  him- 
self too  little,  were  as  regular  as  those  of  public  recitation. 
In  the  summer  of  his  Sophomore  year,  as  we  learn  from 
his  diary,  he  rose  at  four,  and  retired  at  nine.  He  walked 
a short  distance,  or  exercised  a little  in  the  gymnasium, 
after  each  of  his  meals,  and  the  rest  of  the  day,  excepting 
the  hours  of  recitation  and  of  public  and  private  exer- 
cises of  devotion,  he  studied  “ about  all  the  time.” 

He  was  faithful  alike  in  the  studies  of  all  the  depart- 
ments. His  natural  preference,  perhaps,  was  for  the 
mathematics  and  the  physical  sciences.  He  loved  argu- 
ment. He  delighted  in  demonstration.  His  mind  was 
eminently  practical ; and  he  was  pleased  to  see  the  appli- 
cations of  science  to  the  uses  of  common  life,  as  well  as 
the  carrying  out  of  mathematical  principles  in  the  struc- 
ture of  the  universe.  At  the  same  time,  he  looked  at  the 
several  branches  of  mathematical  and  physical  science  as 
so  many  parts  of  the  science  of  God ; and  the  manifesta- 


MATHEMATICS  AND  CLASSICS. 


39 


lions  of  divine  wisdom  and  goodness  in  chemistry, 
natural  philosophy,  and  natural  history,  often  drew  from 
him  emphatic  expressions  of  wonder  and  delight. 

When  he  entered  college,  he  was  the  most  deficient  in 
Greek  and  Latin,  and  therefore  the  least  able  to  appre- 
ciate and  enjoy  the  beauty  of  the  ancient  classics.  But 
for  that  very  reason,  instead  of  studying  them  less,  as 
many  short-sighted  and  irresolute  students  do,  he  studied 
them  more ; just  as  Kirke  White,  finding  himself  deficient 
in  a taste  for  the  mathematics,  and  regarding  it  as  indi- 
cative of  a want  of  just  balance  and  proportion  in  his 
mental  faculties,  resolved  to  labor  strenuously  till  the 
balance  was  restored.  He  made  rapid  proficiency  in  the 
languages  ; read  appreciatingly  Greek  and  Latin  authors  ; 
admired  especially  Demosthenes  and  Tacitus,  and 
mourned  that  the  light  of  Christianity  never  dawned 
upon  them ; insisted  on  the  great  value,  if  not  the  indis- 
pensable necessity  of  classical  studies  as  a discipline  of  the 
mental  powers,  particularly  the  power  of  communication, 
and  as  a preparation  for  influence  and  usefulness,  especially 
in  the  sacred  ministry ; and  came  at  length  to  such  an 
appreciation  and  enjoyment  of  their  intrinsic  beauty  and 
excellence,  that  he  wished  he  could  stay  at  home  to  spend 
his  life  in  the  study  of  the  classics. 

As  the  mathematics  are  the  framework  of  the  material 
universe,  so  “ the  dead  languages,”  (so  called,  apparently, 
because  they  never  die,)  are  the  roots  of  the  recent 
tongues,  and  Greek  and  Roman  culture  is  the  foundation 
of  modern  refinement.  It  is  not  strange,  then,  that  in 
the  studies  of  the  Junior  year,  he  thought  he  had  almost 
completed  the  circle  of  human  wisdom,  and  quite  reached 
the  climax  of  pleasurable  excitement.  But  when  he 
became  a Senior,  mental  philosophy,  with  its  accompany- 
ing ethical  studies,  was,  if  possible,  still  more  captivating. 
“ I do  love  metaphysics,”  he  says  in  his  diary,  Sept.  3d, 
1848.  “ There  it  is  we  look  into  the  seeds  of  things.” 


40 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


There  was  then  no  such  tiling  as  an  established  prize  or 
scholarship  in  Amherst  College.  But  Rev.  Dr.  Packard, 
of  Shelburne,  one  of  the  original  trustees  and  founders 
of  the  college,  offered  to  that  class  a premium  for  the 
best  essay  on  the  Nature  and  Importance  of  Mental  Sci- 
ence. Lobdell  wrote  on  the  subject,  and  gained  the  prize. 
The  connection  between  physiology  and  psychology,  as 
the  connecting  link  between  his  medical  and  his  meta- 
physical studies,  was  a subject  in  which  he  was  greatly 
interested.  He  wrote  on  the  subject,  and  read  his  essay 
before  the  class ; and  the  Professor  (Prof.  Smith,  now  of 
Union  Theological  Seminary,  in  New  York  City,)  was  so 
much  pleased  with  it  as  to  express  a desire  for  its  publica- 
tion. It  was  his  purpose,  if  anything  had  occurred  to 
prevent  his  going  abroad  as  a missionary,  to  write  a book 
on  the  subject.  This  idea  is  thus  adverted  to  in  his  diary : 
“ How  infinite  are  the  instances  in  which  I daily  behold 
the  nice  adaptation  of  the  body  to  the  spirit.  What  a 
mechanism  is  the  human  body  ! I think,  if  I do  not  go 
to  China,  I shall  write  a work  in  my  theologico-medical 
character,  on  the  adaptation  of  the  various  parts  of  the 
body  to  the  human  mind  — bearing  in  mind  that  Chal- 
mers has  treated  in  a general  manner  of  this  subject  — so 
my  medical  knowledge  may  not  be  useless.  Still  I hope 
to  go  to  the  heathen.”  His  thesis  at  the  end  of  his  first 
course  of  medical  lectures,  in  New  York,  was  on  the  con- 
nection between  psychology  and  medicine  — a subject  of 
vast  importance,  which  is  perhaps  even  more  overlooked 
by  physicians  generally,  than  the  correlative  subject  of  the 
connection  between  physiology  and  theology  is  neglected 
by  ordinary  ministers.  No  man  is  qualified  to  prescribe 
for  the  maladies  of  either  the  body  or  the  soul,  who  is  not 
intimately  acquainted  with  the  mysterious  sympathy  that 
exists  between  them. 

In  the  school  of  Plato,  at  Athens,  there  was  one  disci- 
ple, small  of  stature,  slender  in  form,  with  a forward, 


COLLATERAL  STUDIES. 


41 


downward  look,  expressive  of  intense  thought  and  great 
mental  activity  — for  so  his  form  has  come  down  to  us  in 
that  most  intensely  thoughtful  and  intellectual  statue  in 
the  Palazzo  Spada,  at  Rome,  and  so  his  features  have  been 
transmitted  to  us  by  ancient  writers  — who  was  called 
“the  reader”  of  the  school.  We  will  not  say  that  Lob- 
dell  was  the  Aristotle  of  his  class ; for,  besides  the 
extravagance  of  the  compliment,  there  were  not  a few 
points  of  dissimilarity.  But  he  was  at  least  Aristotelian 
in  form  and  attitude,  in  the  reasoning  and  practical  cast 
of  his  mind,  and  in  his  intense  devotion  to  reading  and 
study.  He  read,  in  the  first  place,  every  thing  he  could 
lay  hold  of  that  was  collateral  to  his  studies.  Go  into 
his  room  after  he  had  finished  his  lesson  in  natural  philos- 
ophy, and  you  would  see  him  poring  over  Silliman’s  Jour- 
nal, the  Bridgewater  Treatises,  or  Mrs.  Somerville’s 
Connection  of  the  Physical  Sciences.  If  the  Iliad  or 
Odyssey  was  the  classic  for  the  day,  such  books  as  Wood’s 
Essay  on  the  Original  Genius  of  Homer,  or  Coleridge’s 
Introduction  to  the  Study  of  the  Greek  Classic  Poets, 
would  be  found  lying  on  his  table.  In  connection  with 
Demosthenes  on  the  Crown,  he  read  the  counterpart  ora- 
tion of  iEscliines,  and,  so  far  as  possible,  the  other 
oratory,  as  well  as  the  history  of  that  period.  While 
reciting  with  his  class  Plutarch  on  the  Delay  of  the  Deity 
in  punishing  the  Wicked,  he  read,  in  a translation,  not  a 
few  of  the  other  ethical  treatises  of  the  great  Grecian 
moralist.  And  when  Stewart  was  the  text-book  in  men- 
tal philosophy,  we  find  him  reading,  at  one  time,  St. 
Hilaire’s  Preface  in  French  to  the  Translation  of  Aristotle, 
and  Theodore  Joufiroy,  also  in  the  original,  as  well  as  Dr. 
Moore  on  the  Connection  of  Body  and  Mind,  and  Small 
Books  on  Great  Subjects ; at  another,  Morell  and  Ilickok’s 
Rational  Psychology.  Then  he  took  a wide  range  of 
reading  in  history,  poetry,  and  general  literature.  His 
reading  of  medical  authors  was  extensive.  As  he  became 
4* 


42 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


interested  in  the  cause  of  missions,  he  read  every  thing 
that  had  a bearing  on  the  missionary  work,  and  especially 
every  tiling  relating  to  China,  his  then  expected  field  of 
labor.  Some  books,  such  for  instance  as  most  of  the  current 
issues  of  the  press,  he  devoured  almost  at  a sitting.  Others 
he  studied,  reflected  upon  them,  discussed  them  with  his 
fellow-students,  and  took  notes  or  abstracts  of  their  con- 
tents. Such  were  the  standard  authors  in  history,  poetry 
and  philosophy  — Hume,  Gibbon,  Prescott,  Milton,  Cow- 
per,  Young,  Bacon,  Johnson,  Carlyle,  Coleridge,  Schlegel, 
Goethe,  Schiller,  Shakspeare,  whose  tragedies  he  greatly 
admired,  and,  most  of  all,  the  Bible,  which  he  read  and 
studied  for  its  literature  and  philosophy,  as  well  as  its 
religion.  In  his  Freshman  year,  he  commenced  an  epitome 
of  the  Bible,  “to  see,”  he  says,  “my  own  views  of  its 
various  parts  now,  and  see  if  they  change  hereafter.  I 
know  it  will  take  me  a long  time,  probably  years,  writing 
only  Sundays.  But  I want  to  know  more  of  the  Bible. 
To-day  (Aug.  9,  1846,)  have  written  on  the  Book  of 
Ruth,  as  we  are  reading  along  here  now.”  The  philo- 
sophical emperor  of  Rome,  the  great  philosopher  and 
divine  of  New  England,  and  not  a few  other  good  men 
read  with  their  pen  always  at  hand.  Lobdell  early 
adopted  this  very  useful  practice.  “ I read  as  much  as 
possible,  not  in  quantity , but  in  attention,  and  digest  well 
what  I do  read,  noting  down  all  important  thoughts, 
which  I might  otherwise  forget.” 

At  the  same  time,  he  did  not,  like  too  many  good  schol- 
ars and  great  readers  in  college,  neglect  writing  and 
speaking.  “ Knowledge  is  power,”  and  so  is  a pond  of 
water,  power ; but  it  is  of  no  use  unless  it  is  skillfully 
applied.  Deeming  the  proper  expression  of  his  ideas  not 
less  essential  than  the  ideas  themselves,  he  devoted  much 
time  to  writing,  debating,  and  elocution,  not  only  perform- 
ing punctually  every  part  assigned  him  in  the  class  and 
before  the  college  at  the  appointed  time,  but  writing  for 


COLLEGE  SOCIETIES. 


43 


improvement  for  the  College  Magazine,  and  for  other  peri- 
odicals, speaking  extempore  whenever  and  wherever  he 
had  an  opportunity,  taking  lessons  and  practising  in  the 
woods  near  the  college,  as  he  had  done  in  those  of  his 
native  place,  till  he  was  acknowledged  to  be  the  ablest 
debater,  the  readiest  extemporizer,  and  one  of  the  most 
direct  and  effective  writers  and  speakers  in  the  institution. 

As  a means  of  cultivating  his  power  of  communication, 
he  attached  great  value  to  the  exercises  of  the  Literary 
Society,  of  which  he  was  a member.  Here,  too,  he 
resolved  at  the  outset  to  attend  every  meeting  and  fulfill 
every  appointment ; and  he  was  not  the  man  to  fail  in 
carrying  such  a resolution  into  full  effect.  He  was  very 
much  interested  in  the  meetings  of  the  Society  of  Inquiry 
for  Missions,  and  contributed  not  a little,  particularly  in 
the  latter  part  of  his  college  course,  to  the  interest  of  the 
meetings,  as  well  as  to  the  right  adjustment  of  the  great 
practical  questions  which  were  there  discussed. 

He  was  a faithful  member  and  cordial  supporter  of  the 
Antivenenian  Society  — a society  based  on  a pledge  of 
total  abstinence  from  ardent  spirits,  wine,  opium  and 
tobacco  during  connection  with  college  — of  which,  from 
its  first  establishment  in  1829,  nearly  all  the  officers,  and  a 
majority  of  the  students,  have  always  been  members. 
His  sense  of  the  importance  of  such  a society,  and  of  the 
necessity  of  the  principle  as  well  as  the  practice  of  total 
abstinence  among  young  men  and  their  teachers,  may  be 
gathered  from  his  record  of  what  he  witnessed  of  the  cus- 
tomary New  Year’s  visits  in  the  city  of  New  York. 
“Jan.  1,  1849.  I went  about  to  call  with  the  other  medi- 
cal students  on  the  professors.  How  shameful  in  men 
thus  exalted  to  offer  to  young  men  the  damning  stimulus, 
which  will  be  their  ruin ! It  was  easy  for  me  to  decline 
the  proffered  goblet  from  the  venerable  or  the  youthful 
hand.  How  strange  that  men  have  not  the  moral  cour- 
age to  stick  to  principle  under  all  circumstances.” 


44 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


He  was  just  as  regular  in  his  attendance  on  all  the 
stated  religious  meetings  of  the  week,  as  at  the  daily- 
recitations  or  the  public  services  of  the  chapel  on  the 
Sabbath.  At  the  Sabbath  morning  prayer  meeting,  at  the 
Thursday  evening  lecture,  at  the  class  meeting  on  Satur- 
day evening,  he  was  always  present,  always  ready  to 
take  a part  in  prayer  or  exhortation,  always  in  earnest,  as 
if  he  felt  it  to  be  not  more  his  duty  than  his  delight.  To 
these  stated  meetings  he  added  frequent  special  seasons 
of  social  prayer,  and,  in  times  of  unusual  religious  interest, 
a daily  meeting  of  twenty  minutes  or  half  an  hour  at  his 
own  room  or  the  room  of  a fellow-student,  usually  in  his 
own  “ entry.”  In  the  latter  part  of  his  course,  he  origi- 
nated, I believe,  — at  all  events  he  attended,  — a weekly 
missionary  meeting,  which  has  since  been  sustained,  under 
the  name  of  the  Missionary  Band,  and  which  usually 
numbers  some  twenty  or  twenty-five  who  intend  to  be 
foreign  missionaries.  His  delight  in  social  meetings  for 
prayer  is  expressed  in  many  a record  in  his  diary.  “ How 
strange  that  Christians  can  neglect  to  attend  the  stated 
prayer  meeting!  To  me  it  is  the  most  delightful  part  of 
the  week.  My  soul  is  refreshed  to  mingle  my  prayers 
with  those  of  my  brethren  for  one  great  object,  the  con- 
version and  sanctification  of  a world ; and  I never  go 
away  from  a prayer  meeting  feeling  that  I have  gained  no 
benefit.” 

Nor  did  these  frequent  seasons  of  social  prayer  inter- 
fere with  his  private  devotions.  He  commenced  the 
practice  of  daily  prayer  with  his  room-mate  the  very  first 
evening  after  the  great  change  in  his  religious  feelings. 
Since  his  early  childhood,  it  was  the  first  prayer  he  had 
offered  in  the  presence  of  a fellow  mortal.  Neither  of  the 
two  was  a professor  of  religion  at  the  time,  though  they 
joined  the  college  church  together  before  the  end  of  the 
term ; and  they  continued  this  practice  of  united  prayer 
as  long  as  they  roomed  together.  Besides,  lie  had  from 


PRAYER  AND  MEDITATION. 


45 


two  to  four  stated  seasons  of  daily  secret  prayer  and 
meditation.  If  at  any  time  lie  neglected  these  or  cut 
them  short,  lie  felt  the  elfect  in  blunted  religious  sensibili- 
ties, in  an  impaired  relish  for  social  meetings  and  for  pub- 
lic worship.  He  found  by  experience  that  his  Christian 
enjoyment,  his  growth  in  grace  and  strength  of  religious 
principle,  his  faithfulness  in  every  duty  and  his  success  in 
efforts  to  do  good,  were  all  in  exact  proportion  to  his  im- 
provement and  enjoyment  of  private  devotions  ; and  his 
delight  in  secret  prayer,  as  well  as  his  conviction  that  it  is 
the  Christian’s  life,  grew  with  every  year  of  his  college 
course.  lie  thus  sums  up  his  convictions  and  conclusions 
near  the  close  of  his  Senior  year : 

44  This  important  fact  was  impressed  upon  me,  that  we 
can  not  be  at  all  sure  of  living  through  any  one  day  aright, 
so  as  to  look  back  upon  it  with  entire  satisfaction,  without 
continually  asking  divine  aid  in  the  discharge  of  duty. 
We  must  pray  daily,  hourly  have  a spirit  of  prayer,  or 
we  shall  fall  into  many  sad  mistakes.  It  is  in  vain  to  try 
to  convert  a soul  by  mere  reasoning,  — prayer  is  needed. 
It  should  not  only  be  the  Christian’s  4 watchword  at  the 
gate  of  death,’  it  should  be  his  continually -felt  word  from 
hour  to  hour.  It  is  our  duty,  and  the  most  exalted  privi- 
lege of  man.  Cut  off  this  right  hand  ; but  leave  me  the 
privilege  of  prayer ; it  is  the  Christian’s  life.” 

Meditation  he  regarded  as  a natural  and  necessary 
accompaniment  of  reading  the  Scriptures  and  prayer,  the 
appropriate  means  of  digesting  spiritual  food,  and  nurturing 
the  Christian  life,  and  not  to  be  dispensed  with  even  under 
the  severest  pressure  of  other  duties  : 44 1 have  little  time 
for  reading,  this  term,  — hardly  have  time  to  meditate. 
Y et  I will  take  a certain  amount  of  time  every  day  for  this. 
And  oh,  how  good  to  do  it,  — then  I think  of  God  and 
duty,  and  am  happy.”  44 1 must  pray  more,  and  meditate. 
Three  quarters  of  an  hour  a day  is  not  enough.” 

He  delighted  in  the  Bible  and  the  Sabbath,  reverenced 


46 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


them  as  of  divine  origin  and  authority,  regarded  them  as 
made  for  man  and  made  for  each  other , and  diligently 
improved  them  as  among  the  most  efficient  of  all  Heaven’s 
appointed  means  of  sanctification.  Not  long  after  his 
conversion,  (Sunday,  February  1,  1846,)  he  writes  thus  : 
“ Read  Bickersteth’s  Scripture  Help ; also  twenty  chap- 
ters in  Proverbs.  What  a fountain  of  pure  knowledge 
and  wisdom  there  is  in  the  Bible  ! I never  could  under- 
stand its  truths  as  I now  do.  All  seems  perfect  harmony. 
Though  once  in  a while  a passage  may  seem  to  contradict 
some  other,  yet  if  we  compare  them  accurately  with  the 
context,  we  shall  find  that  there  is  not  more  harmony  in 
the  rolling  of  the  heavenly  orbs  around  their  common 
center,  — that  there  is  not  more  regularity  and  life  and 
power  in  the  rushing  of  the  jmrple  flood  through  our 
veins.  Oh,  how  I delight  to  dwell  on  its  precious  truths.” 
March  20,  1848  : “ Read  several  chapters  in  Acts ; and 
the  story  of  Paul’s  travels  never  seemed  so  interesting 
before.  It  was  as  pleasing  as  any  novel  I ever  read.  I do 
love  the  Bible.”  Thursday  evening,  June  8,  1848  : “ The 
president  gave  us  a good  sermon  on  keeping  the  Sabbath. 
I will  try  to  keep  the  day  more  holy,  be  better  at  the 
close  of  every  one  than  at  its  beginning.  It  is  a day 
given  us  to  study  the  Bible  and  to  advance  in  holiness.” 
Few  students,  few  young  Christians  in  our  day,  it  is  to  be 
feared,  so  esteem  and  so  use  the  Sabbath.  Yet  universal 
observation  and  experience  will  attest  that  Christians 
grow  in  grace  just  in  proportion  to  the  sacredness  with 
which  they  devote  this  holy  day  to  the  word  and  worship 
of  God.  His  friends  have  informed  the  writer  that  young 
Lobdell  observed  the  Sabbath  with  almost  Puritanical 
strictness.  He  avoided  all  unnecessary  labor,  blacked  his 
boots  on  Saturday,  and  made  it  as  far  as  possible  a “ day 
of  preparation  ” for  the  Sabbath.  He  condemned  himself 
for  having  once  taken  the  boat  with  some  of  his  friends 
from  Staten  Island  to  New  York  to  attend  church  there ; 


CHRISTIAN  LIFE. 


47 


and  in  every  suitable  way,  by  precept  and  example,  lie 
set  bis  face  as  a flint  against  the  prevailing  desecration  of 
the  Lord’s  day. 

Yet  he  was  at  the  farthest  possible  remove  from  a 
bigoted  and  fanatical  regard  for  outward  forms  or  inward 
feelings.  Few  Christians  — few  young  Christians,  espe- 
cially — have  been  so  deeply  sensible,  as  young  Lobdell 
was  in  college,  that  Christianity  is  not  a mere  system  of 
doctrines  and  observances,  nor  a series  of  feelings  and 
frames  of  mind,  but  a life  — a life  of  faith  and . love  and 
holy  joy,  a life  of  obedience  to  the  commands  of  God  and 
devotion  to  the  good  of  men.  No  one  can  read  his  diary 
without  feeling  that  to  do  his  whole  duty  and  lead  a 
Christian  life  was  the  strongest  desire  of  his  heart.  No 
one  could  know  him,  even  in  college,  without  seeing  that 
his  chief  study,  his  daily  business,  his  highest  ambition 
was  to  be  a Christian  scholar  and  a Christian  man,  and, 
in  due  time  a Christian  minister  and  missionary^  “that  need 
not  be  ashamed.”  He  constantly  looked  at  all  his  studies 
in  their  relation  to  God,  and  found  in  them  perpetual 
illustrations  of  Christian  truth  and  duty.  He  strove  to 
be  governed  by  Christian  principles  and  to  manifest  a 
Christian  spirit  in  all  his  relations  to  his  teachers  and  his 
fellow-students.  The  terms  in  which  he  speaks  of  the 
president  — his  beloved  president  — and  the  professors, 
all  of  them,  are  habitually  respectful,  affectionate,  gen- 
erous ; their  hearts  would  be  touched,  could  they  read  his 
expressions  of  love  and  confidence ; but  they  are  too 
sacred  for  the  public  eye.  He  was  genial,  manly,  frank, 
outspoken  in  conversation  with  his  fellows.  Yet  he 
guarded  his  lips  against  causing  needless  pain  to  any 
student  by  what  he  said  before  his  face,  as  well  as  against 
saying  anything  to  the  injury  of  others  behind  their  back. 
“ There  is  a habit  which  almost  all  the  students  have  of 
speaking  against  others,  if  not  directly,  in  such  a manner 
that  the  person  meant  is  always  known ; and  I am  sorry 


48 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


to  know  that  I am  somewhat  given  to  that  fault.  I 
resolve  to  say  nothing  of  this  sort  in  any  place,  that 
I would  not  say  before  the  individual’s  face.  I pray  that 
I may  be  able  to  carry  out  this  determination.”  “ I began 
this  day  with  the  determination  to  live  right.  But  at 

table  I said  some  things  to , for  which  I am  sorry  ; 

and  I am  led  to  see  how  vain  it  is  to  trust  in  my  own 
strength.  I thought  I did  trust  in  God.  But  to  do  this, 
one  must  feel  constantly  his  relations  to  the  world  and  to 
God,  and  must  realize  that  every  word  and  deed  has  an 
influence  on  eternal  interests.” 

It  was  his  strenuous  endeavor,  and  more  and  more  as 
he  advanced  in  his  course,  to  study,  not  from  selfish  or 
worldly,  but  from  conscientious  and  Christian  motives. 
This  cost  his  naturally  ambitious  sjoirit  a severe  and  pro- 
tracted struggle.  More  than  once  he  fell  beneath  the 
strong  temptation  to  this  easily  besetting  sin  of  college 
life.  But  lie  watched  and  prayed  and  strove,  and  at 
length  he  became,  if  not  quite  indifferent,  yet  quite  supe- 
rior to  human  praise  and  worldly  distinction.  In  his 
Freshman  year,  he  writes:  “ Worldly  ambition  is  too 
great  in  my  bosom.  I will  try  to  eradicate  it,  root  and 
branch.  I offered  a prayer  this  morning  in  the  Rhetorical 
Room,  (at  the  general  meeting  of  the  students  on  Sunday 
morning,)  and  as  I closed,  I even  dared  to  think  I had 
made  a good  prayer,  and  that  my  companions  would 
think  I was  a fellow  of  some  talent.  Oh,  what  a thought 
for  me  to  cherish  ! Great  God  ! has  my  piety  become  so 
cold  and  dead  ? Renew  it,  Father  in  heaven  ! ” 

In  his  Sophomore  year,  he  is  conscious  of  a desire  to 
stand  well  in  his  class,  but  says : “ May  I not  desire  it 
merely  for  the  present  honor,  but  for  the  good  of  my 
fellow-men.  Vanity  covers  all  these  efforts  of  men  for 
fame  that  must  die.  Give  me,  O God,  that  imperishable 
laurel,  with  which  thou  wilt  deck  the  brow  of  every 
‘beloved’  one  in  thy  kingdom!”  The  following  entries 


CIUUSTIAN  MOTIVES. 


49 


in  his  diary  of  the  Junior  year  indicate  a growing  indiffer- 
ence to  the  opinions  of  men  as  compared  with  the  appro- 
bation of  God  : “ Made  a slight  mistake  in  recitation  this 
morning,  but  find  it  does  not  now  affect  me  as  it  used  to  % 
do.  I tried  to  the  best  of  my  ability  to  get  my  lesson, 
but  for  want  of  time  was  not  able  to  learn  it  perfectly. 

I believe  God  approves,  and  that  is  enough.”  “ To-day  I 
c flunked’  in  my  philosophy.  It  is  the  first  time  I ever 
did,  and  it  shall  be  the  last.  Felt  rather  bad  about  it. 

I am  determined  to  take  a high  stand  in  my  class.  But  I 
hope  I do  it  that  I may  better  glorify  God.”  “ I do  not 
feel  God’s  presence  as  I should.  Yet  I know  I am 
becoming  more  and  more  indifferent  to  human  praise,  and 
prefer  to  do  God  service,  rather  than  myself.  The  appoint- 
ments of  college  do  not  affect  me  as  formerly.  Not  that 
I am  not  as  successful  as  ever,  and  more  so  perhaps ; but 
I am  beginning  to  realize  that  there  is  no  wisdom  like 
that  of  serving  God  aright.  I pray  for  strength  to  enable 
me  to  do  it.”  As  he  advanced  to  Senior  standing,  a 
momentary  pang  of  regret  came  over  him  for  those  offices 
in  the  Literary  Society,  which  he  had  perhaps  fairly 
earned  by  his  fidelity  and  ability  as  a member,  but  which, 
like  too  many  of  the  offices  in  the  gift  of  the  ])eople,  are 
not  always  bestowed  on  the  most  deserving.  But  he 
would  not  for  a moment  condescend  to  the  “ wire-pulling” 
and  “pipe-laying,”  by  which  they  were  procured.  He 
also  wrote  several  pieces  for  publication,  and  acknowl- 
edges that  he  is  not  altogether  free  from  that  “ last 
infirmity  of  noble  minds,”  a desire  for  literary  fame ; but 
he  despises  it,  in  itself  considered,  as  merely  “ a fancied 
life  in  others’  breath,”  and  values  it  only  as  * tributary  to 
the  cause  of  missions  and  the  honor  of  Christ.  “ I am 
ambitious ; but  if  I know  my  own  heart,  it  is  that  I may 
become  instrumental  of  good.” 

Before  he  dared  to  aspire  to  the  honors  of  an  educated 
minister  of  the  gospel,  or  even  to  cherish  a hope  in  Christ 
5 


50 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


for  himself,  it  will  be  remembered  that  the  life  of  Harlan 
Page  appeared  to  him  a life  to  be  coveted.  After  his 
conversion,  he  regarded  it  as  a life  which  he  would 
* endeavor  to  live,  and  entered  at  once  upon  a course  of 
personal  efforts  for  the  salvation  of  sinners,  which  he 
pursued  more  or  less  faithfully  to  the  day  of  his  death, 
and  whose  results  will  be  seen  only  in  the  light  of  another 
world.  He  talked  with  irreligious  students  at  their  rooms 
and  at  his  own.  He  walked  with  them  for  the  purpose  of 
religious  conversation.  He  wrote  letters  to  relatives  and 
friends  who  were  at  a distance.  He  felt  a deep  interest 
in  revivals  of  religion,  and,  as  is  usually  the  case  with  those 
who  are  most  faithful  in  the  improvement  of  ordinary 
means  and  opportunities  for  usefulness,  was  ever  ready  to 
engage  in  special  efforts  for  the  salvation  of  souls.  It  was 
his  happiness  to  witness  in  the  second  term  of  his  Fresh- 
man year,  one  of  those  seasons  of  refreshing,  so  many  of 
which  have  marked  the  history  of  Amherst  College.  His 
diary  shows  how  much  it  enlisted  his  sympathies  and 
efforts,  and,  though  concise  and  fragmentary,  would  almost 
suffice  to  write  a history  of  its  progress.  Thursday,  Feb. 
26,  1846:  “This  is  the  day  of  annual  fasting  and  prayer 
for  colleges.  No  literary  exercises.  A.  M.  — Prayer 
meeting  of  all  the  members  of  college,  officers  and  students. 
Very  serious.  P.  M. — The  most  impressive  sermon  (I 
think  I can  say)  that  I ever  heard.  Evening. — Meeting 
of  our  class ; spoke  and  led  in  prayer.  Interesting,  very.” 
Friday,  27 : “All  appear  much  interested  in  the  work  of 
a revival.  Evening. — The  president  met  the  professors 
of  religion  in  college,  and  made  some  very  serious  remarks. 
He  called  on  the  Christian  students  of  Amherst  College  to 
aid  in  the  glorious  work ; and  I am  sure  many  fervent 
prayers  were  offered  up  for  a revival,  by  all  who  love  the 
Lord.  With  three  others,  held  a prayer  meeting  for  the 
conversion  of  one  of  our  class.”  Saturday,  28:  “Even- 
ing.— Good  sermon  from  Prof. , on  the  agency  of 


KEVIVAL  IN  COLLEGE. 


51 


the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  conversion  of  sinners.  After  it,  our 
class  had  a meeting.  Good,  solemn.  God’s  Spirit  was 
truly  with  us.”  Thursday,  March  5:  U0ur  meetings  are 
very  interesting.  God’s  Spirit  is  truly  with  us;  and  oh 
that  Christians  might  awake  to  a sense  of  their  duty! 
After  the  usual  Thursday  evening  lecture,  a meeting  for 
special  prayer  at  the  Rhetorical  Room.  The  professors 
spoke  very  affectingly.  I resolved  to  live  a better  life.” 
Monday  evening,  March  9:  “Meeting  at  the  president’s. 
Question,  Is  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  among  us  or  not? 
Quickly  decided,  that  it  is.  It  is  indeed  a solemn 
thought.”  Tuesday,  10:  “Half  a dozen  of  us  have  con- 
cluded to  hold  prayer  meetings  at  each  other’s  rooms  half 
an  hour,  for  several  mornings.  At  our  room  this  morning. 
It  is  truly  pleasant  to  commune  with  God,  and  to  feel  that 
our  sins  are  forgiven.  I pray  earnestly  for  his  Spirit  to 
assist  me,  that  I may  live  more  in  accordance  with  the 
character  of  a Christian.  How  little  I do  for  Christ, 
although  I trust  he  bought  me  with  his  blood.”  Wednes- 
day, 11:  “Many  sinners  are  turning  to  God.”  Sunday, 
15:  “Never  have  I observed  such  an  appearance  among 
the  impenitent  as  to-day  in  this  college.  Many  of  the 
most  thoughtless  and  hardened  were  very  solemn,  and 
seemed  to  feel  that  they  were  rebels  against  God.”  16: 
“ Good  meeting  at  the  president’s.  V ery  solemn  talk  with 
one  of  my  class,  who  is  deeply  convicted  of  sin.  Prayed 
with  him,  and  entreated  him  to  seek  God  before  it  is  too 
late.”  20:  “Sinners  are  hourly,  almost,  flying  to  the 
Saviour.  This  evening  a young  man  of  the  Sophomore 
class  is  heard  praying  (in  an  adjoining  room) — has  been 
for  an  hour  and  a half.  Oh,  what  agony  he  suffers ! May 
God  have  mercy  on  him,  and  may  he  find  sweet  peace  in 
Jesus.”  Sunday,  22:  “What  sermons!  It  seems  as  if  no 
man  could  resist  their  power.  I thank  God  that  I am 
allowed  to  hear  such  glorious  news  from  my  friends 
around  me,  who  are  daily  turning  to  God.  One  after 


52 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


another  is  converted.  There  is  no  great  excitement.  All 
is  the  work  of  God.  I praise  him,  and  will  forever. 
Evening. — Just  now,  I hear,  another  is  rejoicing  in  God. 
I have  had  some  most  serious  conversations  with  him. 
For  some  time  he  has  been  serious  and  downcast;  but 
now  he  is  all  wonder  and  joy.” 

Wherever  the  announcement  is  made  that  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  is  passing  by,  and  the  people  flock  to  him  with 
their  spiritual  maladies,  and  the  blind  receive  their  sight, 
the  deaf  hear,  the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are  cleansed,  the 
dead  are  raised,  and  the  poor  have  the  gospel  preached  to 
them,  there  is,  and  well  there  may  be,  great  joy  in  that 
city.  But  when  a college  is  thus  visited — where  two  or 
three  hundred  young  men  are  congregated,  with  their 
young  and  active  minds  continually  acting  and  reacting 
upon  one  another,  with  their  fresh  and  warm  hearts  beat- 
ing in  constant  and  lively  sympathy;  where  all  dwell  in 
the  same  buildings,  engage  in  the  same  studies  and  recre- 
ations, listen  to  the  same  literary  and  religious  teachers, 
sit  side  by  side  in  the  same  lecture-rooms,  and  meet  daily 
in  the  same  place  for  morning  and  evening  prayers;  when 
all,  in  a word,  are  of  the  same  age,  and  that  the  age  most 
susceptible  to  lasting  impressions,  and  all  breathe  the 
same  atmosphere,  and  that  an  atmosphere  charged  with 
electric  influences — when  such  a gracious  visit  is  whis- 
pered through  college , and  the  blind  are  heard  crying, 
“ Jesus  of  Nazareth,  have  mercy  on  us,”  and  the  lepers 
plead,  “ if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean,”  and 
those  possessed  of  unclean  spirits  stand  awed  and  trem- 
bling in  that  sacred  presence,  and  even  those  quite  dead 
in  sins  of  the  deepest  dye  own  his  life-giving  power  — oh  ! 
then  who  can  describe  the  breathless  silence  and  suspense 
with  which  anxious  friends  and  sympathizing  acquaintance 
watch  the  progress  of  each  miracle  of  healing,  as  they 
come  in  succession  under  the  eye  and  hand  of  the  Great 
Physician;  and  who  can  tell  the  thrill  of  unutterable  joy 


FJKUITS. 


53 


that  runs  through  the  community,  when  they  see  and 
hear  what  he  has  done  for  their  souls ! And  when  the 
blind  that  now  sec,  and  the  lepers  that  are  cleansed,  and 
the  demoniacs  that  have  been  dispossessed, — some,  perad- 
venture,  of  seven  devils, — and  the  dead  that  have  been 
raised,  and  among  them,  perhaps,  some  that  were  twice 
dead  in  their  deep  and  desperate  depravity  — when,  after 
a season,  all  these  come  before  the  priest  in  the  temple, 
and  present  themselves  as  a thank-offering  to  the  Lord, 
and  the  whole  congregation  see  what  miraculous  changes 
have  come  over  them,  there  is  another  scene  of  wonder 
and  joy — joy,  not  on  earth  only,  but  in  the  presence  of 
the  angels  of  God.  And  as  they  go  home,  for  the  first 
time,  new  creatures  in  Christ  Jesus,  how  many  fountains 
of  joy  arc  opened  in  the  bosoms  of  parents  and  friends. 
And  as  they  go  out  into  the  world,  and  some  become  pas- 
tors of  churches  in  the  cities  and  villages  of  the  older 
states,  and  others  pioneers  of  the  gospel  in  the  new  settle- 
ments, and  others  heralds  of  salvation  to  far-off  heathen 
lands,  and  this  young  man  becomes  a Christian  lawyer, 
and  that  a pious  physician,  and  here  and  there  one  per- 
haps carries  his  religious  principles  with  him  to  the  bench 
or  the  legislative  assembly,  how  the  tide  of  holy  and 
happy  influence  spreads  over  the  world,  and  how  will  it 
roil  on  “ all  through  time  and  down  eternity  ! ” Such  is 
no  exaggerated  description  of  a revival  of  religion  in  col- 
lege, and  its  fruits,  as  they  have  again  and  again  been  wit- 
nessed. Well  might  young  Lobdell  sympathize  with  its 
progress,  and  rejoice  in  its  results.  He  had  occasion  to 
praise  God  for  more  than  one  such  season  during  his  col- 
lege course,  though  none  was  so  marked  as  that  of  which 
we  have  taken  note  as  having  occurred  in  his  Freshman 
year.  Between  twenty-five  and  thirty  (the  whole  college 
at  that  time  numbered  only  about  a hundred  and  twenty- 
five)  indulged  the  hope  that  they  had  passed  from  death 
to  life.  A large  proportion  of  them  are  now  ministers  of 
5* 


54 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


the  gospel ; not  a few  are  teachers  of  youth  in  academy 
or  college.  One  is  a missionary  in  China ; and  another, 
who  devoted  himself  to  the  missionary  work,  a youth  of 
rare  genius  and  promise  and  a bosom  friend  of  Lobdell,* 
is  in  heaven. 

Lobdell’s  vacations  were  too  much  like  term  time.  He 
did  not  know  how  to  unbend.  The  word  recreation  was 
not  in  his  vocabulary.  Had  it  been,  in  all  probability  he 
would  now  have  been  in  the  midst  of  life  and  usefulness. 
Professor  Wyttenbach,  of  the  Leyden  University,  extols 
the  wisdom  of  the  founders  of  the  Dutch  Universities  in 
instituting  vacations  for  the  twofold  purpose  of  affording 
the  professors  an  opportunity  to  recruit,  and  the  students 
time  for  an  additional  review  of  their  studies.  Lobdell 
seems  to  have  looked  on  vacations  as  designed  rather  for 
fresh  excursions  into  the  field  of  knowledge  and  of  useful- 
ness. He  took  no  excursions  for  health  or  pleasure.  He 
never  went  shooting,  fishing,  riding,  or  even  walking,  for 
mere  recreation.  He  seldom  played  or  relaxed,  except  in 
cheerful  conversations  and  visits  with  his  friends,  which  he 
enjoyed  greatly.  His  affections  were  lively.  His  tem- 
perament was  cheerful,  almost  buoyant.  He  rarely  suf- 
fered from  low  spirits.  There  was  in  him  nothing  of  the 
ascetic.  He  enjoyed , with  a keen  relish,  study,  work, 
prayer,  and  efforts  to  do  good.  These  were  the  pastime 
and  pleasure  of  his  college  vacations. 

It  was  a joyful  meeting,  when  he  met  his  mother  for  the 
first  time,  a member  of  college,  a member  of  the  church, 
and,  as  he  hoped,  a member  of  the  family  of  God.  Her 
last  words  at  parting,  when  he  left  for  Hartford,  were : 
“ The  next  time  I hear  from  you,  Henry,  I hope  to  hear 
that  you  are  converted.”  The  very  first  letter  she 
received  from  him  at  college,  began  with  the  joyful 
announcement : “ Mother,  I hope  I am  converted.”  And 

*J.  D.  Foland,  of  North  Brookfield,  who  died  shortly  after  leaving  the 
Theological  Seminary  at  Andover,  at  the  age  of  24. 


VACATIONS 


55 


when  they  met  after  a separation  of  eight  months,  there 
was  a new  bond  of  sympathy  between  them,  and  a gush 
of  unwonted  love  and  joy.  “ What  a meeting  I had  with 
my  mother ! I burst  into  tears ; but  they  were  tears  of 
joy.  Both  bound  to  heaven  now  — how  glorious  the 
thought ! But  a father  to  be  left  ? Must  it  be  ? Fer- 
vent are  my  prayers  for  his  conversion ; and  I pray  God 
for  wisdom  to  direct  me  in  speaking  to  him  on  personal 
religion.”  This  first  entry  in  his  diary,  April  23,  1846,  is 
the  key-note  to  the  entire  vacation.  He  had  written  let- 
ters again  and  again  to  his  father,  to  his  sisters,  to  his 
unconverted  friends  and  acquaintance,  almost  from  the 
day  of  his  own  conversion.  It  was  some  weeks,  however, 
before  he  could  make  up  his  mind  to  write  to  his  father. 
The  letter  lies  before  me.  It  is  modest,  deferential,  filial, 
yet  decided  and  faithful.  It  was  followed  by  others,  some 
arguing  at  length  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  religion, 
but  all  full  of  expressions  of  filial  love,  gratitude,  and 
sympathy  with  the  present  trials,  as  well  as  anxiety  for 
the  future  prospects  of  an  honored  but  unbelieving 
parent.  Such,  doubtless,  were  the  tone  and  temper  of  the 
letters  he  wrote  at  this  time  to  other  irreligious  friends. 
And  now  he  availed  himself  of  the  first  opportunity  to 
follow  up  his  letters  by  personal  exhortations  to  a religious 
life.  He  conversed  respectfully  and  affectionately  with 
his  father.  He  took  the  younger  children  on  his  lap,  and 
talked  to  them  of  Jesus.  He  pressed  the  subject  of  per- 
sonal religion  upon  the  attention  of  the  older  members 
of  the  family,  and  upon  the  companions  of  his  youth,  by 
conversation  or  by  letter,  according  as  they  were  present 
or  absent.  And  he  had  the  happiness  of  knowing,  sooner 
or  later,  that  his  faithfulness  was  not  in  vain.  He  read 
to  his  mother,  sawed  or  split  wood,  and  made  himself  gen- 
erally useful  in  the  family.  lie  distributed  tracts,  and 
attended  religious  meetings.  He  delivered  lectures  and 
addresses  on  temperance  and  education.  Sometimes  he 


56 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


sold  books  and  periodicals  to  replenish  his  funds.  More 
frequently  he  taught  school,  a district  school,  high  school 
or  academy,  as  he  found  opportunity.  He  taught  five 
quarters  during  his  four  years’  college  course.  If  nothing 
else  furnished  sufficient  occupation  for  his  incessantly 
active  mind,  he  engaged  in  the  study  of  medicine.  Thus 
were  his  vacations,  like  his  term  time,  a scene  of  almost 
uninterrupted  labor  for  his  own  improvement  or  for  the 
comfort  and  well-being  of  others. 

His  love  of  reading  and  study,  and  his  affectionate 
attachment  to  home  and  friends,  both  made  him  shrink 
from  teaching  in  vacation.  But  the  necessity  was  laid 
upon  him,  and  he  made  of  it  a virtue  and  a means  of  use- 
fulness. “ All  are  preparing  to  be  off,”  he  writes  in  his 
diary,  at  the  end  of  his  first  term  in  college.  Oh,  with 
what  exuberance  of  delight  Freshmen  hurry  home  at  the 
close  of  their  first  college  term ; and  how  keenly  must 
our  young  friend  have  felt  the  contrast ! “ All  are  prepar- 
ing to  be  off.  But  I must  go  and  work  in  the  school- 
house  till  next  term,  and  six  weeks  more ! But  I thank 
my  Master  that  I can  there  do  some  good.”  He  taught  at 
this  time  the  district  school  at  South  Amherst.  And 
never,  while  memory  lasts,  will  the  good  people  of  South 
Amherst  forget  that  winter  school,  and  the  young  Fresh- 
man that  taught  it.  They  remember  him  as  an  able,  suc- 
cessful, devoted,  and  beloved  teacher.  But  they  think  and 
speak  of  him  chiefly  as  a real  Christian , who  said  what  he 
believed,  and  did  as  he  said;  who  lived  religion,  and 
longed  to  see  it  embraced  and  exemplified  by  all  around 
him.  He  made  his  lessons  the  vehicle  of  moral  and  reli- 
gious instruction.  He  gave  occasional  lectures  on  anatomy 
or  some  other  science,  and  thus  led  the  thoughts  of  his 
pupils  up  to  their  Maker.  In  connection  with  the  morn- 
ing or  evening  prayer,  he  sometimes  addressed  the  whole 
school  more  directly  on  their  religious  duties.  He  con- 
versed privately  with  individual  pupils  ; or,  if  that  method 


TEACHING. 


67 


promised  a better  result,  wrote  them  notes  chiefly  of  a 
religious  nature.  In  some  cases  these  notes  were 
repeated,  and  even  continued  in  after  years.  The  writer 
has  before  him  a series  of  such  letters,  addressed  to  a 
favorite  pupil ; and  wherever  they  may  begin,  they  all  end 
with  pressing,  in  various  ways,  the  subject  of  experimental 
religion.  He  attended  the  social  gatherings  and  the  sew- 
ing circles  of  the  parish ; and  while  entering  with  all  the 
warmth  and  liveliness  of  his  social  nature  — a liveliness 
which  he  sometimes  condemned  as  excessive  — into  their 
social  enjoyments,  he  always  contrived  to  insinuate  more 
or  less  of  Christian  influence.  He  took  part  in  the  Sun- 
day School,  and  the  religious  meetings,  and  thus  extended 
his  influence  to  all  ages  and  classes  of  the  people.  Years 
afterwards,  when  Dr.  Lobdell  had  already  gone  to  his  rest, 
and  in  another  town  far  away  from  the  scene  of  his  labors, 
the  writer  fell  in  with  a poor  servant  woman,  who  remem- 
bered and  blessed  him  for  his  Christian  fidelity ; it  was  a 
touching  testimony  at  once  to  the  memory  of  the  dead, 
and  to  God’s  faithfulness  to  his  promise  — “ The  righteous 
shall  be  had  in  everlasting  remembrance.” 

The  next  year,  Lobdell  taught  three  quarters  in  a High 
School  in  New  London,  Ct.  The  school  was  different 
from  that  at  South  Amherst,  and  he  stood  in  a different 
relation  to  it.  He  had  not  the  principal  charge,  though 
he  taught  the  highest  branches.  But  his  spirit  was  the 
same.  Next  to  the  perfect  understanding  of  his  lessons, 
it  was  his  constant  study  how  he  could  best  win  his  way 
to  the  hearts  of  his  pupils,  and  do  them  the  greatest  pos- 
sible good.  The  following  extracts  from  his  journal  at 
this  time,  are  not  only  illustrative  of  his  wisdom  and 
fidelity,  but  may  be  suggestive  to  other  teachers : “ I am 
endeavoring  to  gain  the  affections  of  my  pupils,  so  that  I 
can  speak  to  them  of  eternal  things.  Oh  that  I may  do 
my  duty  to  them ! ” “I  try  in  my  school  to  have  my 
efforts  all  directed  to  save  the  souls  under  my  care. 


58 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


Would  to  God  I could  make  them  all  realize  that  I wish 
their  immortal  good,  when  I am  compelled  to  punish 
them.  There  is  one  way  in  which  I frequently  try  to 
bring  home  religion  to  their  hearts.  If  I am  compelled 
to  inflict  punishment  on  a boy,  I often  keep  him  after 
school,  and  then  tell  him  of  my  firm  belief  in  the  Bible  — 
that  God  will*  bring  me  to  an  account  for  all  that  I do 
here,  for  the  very  act  of  punishing  him  — that  he  will  then 
cause  the  motives  I had  in  punishing  him  to  appear  dis- 
tinctly before  me  — and  I must  be  myself  punished  if  I 
have  done  wrong  in  punishing  him.  Often  do  such 
remarks  cause  the  tear  to  trickle  down  the  sorrowful 
cheek,  and  a promise  of  amendment  then  taken  I often 
find  far  better  than  any  corporeal  punishment.  I pray 
God  to  give  me  a disposition  to  do  right  always.”  Here, 
too,  he  was  a teacher  in  the  Sunday  School,  and  “ often 
took  part  in  religious  meetings  in  a very  acceptable  man- 
ner ” — such  is  the  testimony  of  Rev.  Dr.  Edwards,  whose 
church  he  usually  attended,  and  who  adds:  “he  was 
regarded  here  as  a very  faithful  and  industrious  teacher, 
and  an  earnest  and  devoted  Christian.” 

While  in  New  London,  he  narrowly  escaped  sharing  the 
fate  of  the  passengers  of  the  ill-fated  Atlantic  which,  on 
Friday,  Nov.  27,  1846,  at  four  in  the  morning,  (the  morn- 
ing of  the  annual  thanksgiving,)  drifted  in  a storm  upon  a 
rock  near  Fisher’s  Island,  and  was  totally  wrecked.  Very 
many  of  those  on  board  found  a watery  grave,  while  the 
rest  escaped  only  through  perils  and  hardships  of  the 
most  appalling  nature.  Lobdell  was  detained  by  an  un- 
expected visit  from  a friend.  His  associate  in  the  school 
went  on  board,  and  was,  with  difficulty,  saved.  On  Sun- 
day following,  some  of  the  dead  bodies  were  carried 
into  the  Second  Congregational  Church,  and  a sermon, 
suited  to  the  solemn  occasion,  was  preached  by  Rev.  Dr. 
McEwen.  “ Oh!  what  a day  this  has  been,”  Lobdell  writes 
in  his  journal:  “May  the  impressions  my  mind  has  re- 


MISSIONARY  SPIRIT. 


59 

ceived,  be  abiding  as  eternity.  May  I work  for  God  while 
the  day  lasts.  A few  more  years,  and  all  this  will  be  for- 
gotten by  the  multitude ; but  I pray  God  I may  never 
forget  it.”  On  Monday,  he  wrote  letters  to  some  of  his 
unconverted  friends,  and  “ entreated  that  they  would  re- 
ceive them  as  if  coming  from  the  grave.” 

At  the  close  of  his  Senior  year,  and  during  his  Senior 
vacation,  he  took  the  place  of  a friend  of  his,  who  was  in 
bad  health,  as  Principal  of  Hopkins  Academy,  in  Hadley, 
Mass.  He  was  there  not  quite  an  entire  term.  But  the 
memory  of  his  consistent  piety,  his  missionary  influence, 
and  the  Christian  eloquence  at  once  of  his  lips  and  his 
life,  is  still  embalmed  in  the  hearts  of  many  there,  though 
the  good  lady  with  whom  he  boarded  and  who  loved  him 
almost  as  a son,  while  she  did  not  entertain  a doubt  of  his 
sincere  piety,  could  hardly  forgive  his  Methodist  mother 
for  not  having  taught  him  the  Assembly’s  Catechism. 

While  studying  medicine  in  New  York  city,  he  found 
a field  of  truly  missionary  labor,  both  among  the  medical 
students,  who  were,  for  the  most  part,  unbelievers,  if  not 
scoffers,  and  also  among  the  poorer  classes  of  the  inhabi- 
tants, whose  ignorance,  degradation,  vice,  and  crime, 
deeply  affected  his  heart.  The  following  extracts  from 
his  journal  reveal  somewhat  of  his  feelings  and  his  doings 
there:  “After  the  lecture  (Nov. 2,  1848,)  I walked  down, 
Broadway  and  up  Center  street,  on  my  way  home  ; and  I 
never  have  felt  so  great  a call  on  myself  for  effort  in  the 
Christian  work  as  I have  to-night.  How  many  thousands 
around  my  very  door  are  going  fast  down  to  hell.  And  I 
believe  it.  Believe  it!  Oh  that  this  thought  may  lead 
me  to  devote  every  vacant  moment  to  the  scattering  of 
tracts,  to  conversing  with  the  poor,  to  do  them  good. 
This  is  my  prayer,  O God ; and  wilt  thou  help  me  to  do 
much  for  their  eternal  well-being”  Nov.  14:  “Went 
through  the  region  of  ‘ The  Five  Points.’  Oh,  what  a hor- 
rid place!  When  will  the  world  be  purified!  These 


GO 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


wretched  beings  live  and  die,  and  never  hear  of  Christ. 
Who  shall  tell  them,  or  must  they  perish  ? ” Saturday, 
Nov.  18:  “Have  had  various  talks  with  individuals  this 
week  on  religion.  Indeed,  I will  not  let  a day  go  by  with- 
out talking  with  some  on  this  subject.  Find  many  so 
hardened,  that  it  seems  impossible  to  affect  them ; and  yet 
none  is  so  inhuman  as  not,  at  times,  to  shed  a human  tear. 
Oh!  may  I remember  that  I leave  this  land  soon  for  the 
heathen,  and  there  are  wretched  heathen  here.”  Sunday, 
Nov.  19 : “ Talked  to  prisoners  in  the  City  Prison  on  tem- 
perance. I was  called  on,  and  make  it  a rule  never  to 
decline.  I was  glad  to  have  the  privilege  of  telling  the 
poor  prisoners  that  there  is  hope  even  for  them”  Sunday, 
Dec.  24 : “ Heard  this  morning  an  agent  of  the  Sunday 
School  Union.  Feel  much  for  the  West , and  if  God  shall 
not  open  the  way  for  me  to  go  East,  I think  I shall  go 
West,  and  try  to  build  up  a church,  yet  not  even  there 
c on  another  man’s  foundation.’  ” 

Some  of  his  best  friends  thought  that  “the  West”  was 
Lobdell’s  appropriate  sphere.  He  knew  much  by  experi- 
ence of  the  life  of  a colporter  and  a home  missionary. 
While  a student  in  college,  he  had  already  preached  — it 
was  “ lay  preaching,”  but  none  the  less  powerful  for  that, 
— wherever  and  whenever  God  gave  him  the  opportunity. 
And  he  had  that  ready,  extemporaneous,  and  moving  elo- 
quence, which  would  have  given  him  great  power  over 
the  masses  at  the  West.  The  writer  confesses  that  he 
had  doubts  whether  Lobdell  had  not  mistaken  his  sphere, 
and  pleads  guilty  to  the  charge  of  having  queried  with 
him  on  the  subject.  But  he  maintained,  that  all  his  pow- 
ers and  all  his  experience  would  find  full  scope  among  the 
heathen ; that  there  was  the  field  for  self-denial,  there,  too, 
for  talents, learning,  eloquence,  and  “heroic  action;”  and, 
what  was  decisive,  the  heathen  at  home  might  hear  the 
gospel  if  they  would,  and  might,  peradventure,  come 
under  its  influence  and  be  saved ; but  the  heathen  abroad 


RESOLVES  TO  BE  A MISSIONARY. 


01 


were  beyond  its  reach,  and  must  perish  unless  it  was  car- 
ried to  them  by  Christian  missionaries.  This  was  a part 
of  his  creed,  fully  taught,  as  he  believed,  in  the  Bible ; 
and,  like  every  other  part  of  his  creed,  it  was  to  him  a 
reality . And  duty  was  to  him  a reality . While  his  mind 
was  balancing  the  subject,  or  if  at  any  subsequent  time  it 
became  unsettled,  the  only  question  was,  What  is  duty? 
“ My  prayer  is,  4 Not  my  will,  but  thine,  O God,  be  done ! ’ 
If  I see  it  my  duty  to  go  to  China,  I know  I will  not  hesi- 
tate an  instant.  But  I fear  my  vision  will  be  blinded. 
Oh  that  the  shining  honors  and  transient  glitter  of  this 
land  may  not  deceive  me.  May  I reject  them  all,  if  neces- 
sary, and  cling  to  the  cross  of  Christ.” 

It  was  in  the  summer  of  1846,  in  his  Freshman  year, 
that  his  attention  seems  to  have  been  first  called  to  the 
subject,  as  a personal  matter,  by  hearing  Rev.  Mr.  Bur- 
gess, of  the  Mahratta  Mission,  in  the  college  chapel.  His 
prompt  response,  recorded  in  his  diary,  was : “ I will  go, 
if  I can  see  it  to  be  my  duty.”  About  a month  later,  he 
listened  to  a stirring  appeal  from  Rev.  Dr.  Scudder,  of 
Ceylon,  and  was  greatly  moved.  He  went  to  his  room, 
not  to  study,  but  to  pray.  It  was  a special  subject  of 
prayer  through  the  week ; and  then,  being  asked  by  his 
room-mate  if  he  was  willing  to  be  a missionary,  he  said, 
“ Yes,  and  I think  I shall  be;”  and  asking  in  turn  the 
same  question,  heard,  with  great  pleasure,  a like  response 
from  him.  In  June,  1847,  the  attention  of  these  two 
young  men  was  particularly  called  to  China  by  one  of 
the  Tutors ; and  in  August  of  the  same  year,  we  find  them 
formally  devoting  themselves  to  missionary  labor  in  that 
field,  should  Providence  permit,  and  solemnly  sealing  the 
engagement  with  their  own  hand  and  seal.  The  resolu- 
tions, adopted  after  much  prayer  and  meditation,  are  as 
follows : 

“ Bought  with  the  blood  of  Christ,  we  feel  it  not  only 
our  duty,  but  our  highest  privilege,  to  consecrate  all  we 
6 


62 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


are,  and  have,  and  hope  to  be,  to  the  service  of  God,  who 
in  his  infinite  love  has  redeemed  us.  And  that  our  com- 
ing consecration  may  be  joyfully  made,  and,  in  prospect, 
exert  a beneficial  influence  on  our  lives, 

“Resolved,  1.  That  in  obedience  to  the  command  of 
our  Saviour  — 4 Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the 
gospel  to  every  creature,’  and  in  view  of  the  condition  of 
millions  of  perishing  heathen,  we,  bidding  adieu  to  our 
friends  and  our  native  land,  will  seek  China  as  our  field 
of  labor,  unless  God  in  his  providence  shall  otherwise 
direct. 

44  Resolved,  2.  That  in  all  our  future  life  and  study,  un- 
influenced by  college  and  seminary  honors,  except  so  far 
as  is  consistent  with  Christian  character,  we  will  strive 
to  cultivate  a missionary  spirit. 

44  Resolved,  3.  That  in  view  of  our  intended  departure 
from  our  Christian  home  — our  beloved  country  — we 
will  seek  and  improve  every  opportunity  for  confirming 
our  brethren  in  the  Christian  faith,  and  warning  the  im- 
penitent, especially  our  relatives  and  friends,  of  their 
danger. 

44  Resolved,  4.  That  in  our  mutual  intercourse,  we  will 
ever  exercise  a spirit  of  forbearance  and  love,  will  kindly 
admonish  each  other  of  our  faults,  and,  hand  in  hand,  with 
firm  faith  in  God,  will  press  on  in  our  Christian  course, 
till  we  enter  heaven. 

44  To  these  resolutions,  in  humble  dependence  on  God 
for  support  and  direction,  we  will,  by  his  aid,  firmly  ad- 
here. May  God  bless  us  in  our  efforts,  for  Christ’s  sake.” 

In  the  course  of  a few  months,  they  had  the  happiness 
of  numbering  others,  whom  they  loved  as  classmates  and 
friends,  in  their  little  missionary  band.  Not  all  of  them 
persevered  in  their  intention.  Not  all  of  them  were  per- 
mitted to  fulfill  the  desire  of  their  hearts.  One  of  them 
we  have  already  mentioned  as  early  transferred  to  a bet- 
ter world.  Lobdell  never  swerved  from  his  purpose,  and 


LETTER  TO  I1JLS  MOTHER. 


G3 


never  regretted  liis  decision,  early  in  his  college  course,  to 
become  a missionary.  Facts  show  that  few  college  gradu- 
ates ever  stand  on  heathen  shores,  unless  they  do  dedicate 
themselves  to  the  work  while  members  of  college.  That 
is  the  forming  period  in  a young  man’s  life ; and  what  a 
professedly  pious  young  man  is  in  his  standard  of  piety 
and  in  his  governing  purpose  when  he  leaves  college,  that 
he  ordinarily  continues  to  be  through  his  professional 
studies  and  his  public  life.  Lobdell  felt  and  rejoiced  in 
the  happy  influence  of  the  decision  from  the  day  when  it 
was  made.  It  not  only  afforded  him  rest  and  peace — it 
shaped  his  reading  and  study.  It  set  before  him  a high 
standard  of  Christian  character  and  conduct.  It  gave 
him  an  object  to  live  for  which  enlarged  his  views,  enno- 
bled his  aims,  and  inspired  his  soul  with  something  of  its 
own  grandeur  and  loftiness. 

The  materials  of  this  chapter  have  been  drawn  chiefly 
from  the  journal.  The  reader  would  perhaps  like  to  see 
a letter  bearing  his  college  “ image  and  superscription.” 
The  following  may  serve  as  a specimen.  It  was  written 
to  his  mother  in  his  Junior  year: 

Amherst  College,  Sept.  6,  1848. 

Dear  Mother  : — I am  sorry  not  to  have  been  able  to 
comply  with  your  request  “ to  write  soon.”  But  now  I 
will  do  as  well  as  possible  to  supply  you  with  a short  ac- 
count of  what  has  transpired  with  and  around  me  thus 
far  this  term. 

It  has  been  a very  pleasant  term  to  me,  though  our 
class  has  been  obliged  to  study  very  hard.  In  fact,  this  is 
the  place  to  work,  any  time  / and  were  it  not  for  a long 
vacation  now  and  then,  we  students  could  stand  such 
severe  study  but  a few  years.  Some , however,  might 
live  to  the  age  of  Methusaleh,  so  far  as  hard  study  has 
any  thing  to  do  with  regulating  the  length  of  life,  for  they 
stay  here  to  enjoy  themselves  and  get  their  A.  B.,  careless 
about  the  claims  of  an  ignorant  world.  You  will  believe 


64 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


I am  not  one  of  this  character ; and  my  thin  cheeks  may 
tend  to  confirm  your  opinion,  when  you  see  them  again. 
But  though  hard  work  does  make  a bone  or  two  stick  out 
a little  here  and  there,  it  is  delightful  to  look  into  the 
causes  of  things,  and  learn  the  history  and  development 
of  man.  I would  not  give  up  this  employment  for  all  the 
mere  gold  of  a world.  It  seems  evident  to  me,  that  I am 
training  up  my  sjnrit  for  eternity , and  Mammon  is  not 
there  a god. 

My  health  has  been  very  good,  as  usual,  since  I left 
home,  and  with  the  exception  of  a headache  once  in  a 
while,  I have  been  perfectly  well.  And  what  is  more  im- 
portant, I trust  that  my  progress  in  spiritual  knowledge 
and  health  is  greater  than  it  has  ever  been  before. 

Every  day  serves  to  confirm  me  in  my  views  of  religion. 
Those  doubts,  which  so  long  haunted  me,  are  dissolving 
away  before  the  light  of  truth,  and  soon  doubtless  it  will 
be  my  delight  to  rest  firm  on  God’s  promises  for  ever. 
Yes,  I would  do  this  noio.  IIow  many  are  his  exhibitions 
of  goodness  and  mercy  to  us ! To-day  the  President  has 
given  us  two  fine  sermons,  well  adapted  for  a fast-day, 
on  Prayer  and  Providence.  I wish  father  could  have  lis- 
tened to  them.  He  went  down  into  the  bottom  of  the 
subject,  and  showed  conclusively  that  God  hears  prayer 
and  exerts  a special  providence ; and  this  too,  not  only 
from  the  Bible,  but,  what  to  some  is  more  convincing, 
from  philosophy  itself.  The  fact  is,  if  men  knew  rnore, 
they  would  have  less  hesitation  in  believing  and  obeying 
God.  A little  learning  is  indeed  dangerous;  for  how 
many  are  deluded  and  lost  by  a faint  glimmering  of  light, 
when  the  full  sun  would  have  disclosed  to  them  the  won- 
drous power  and  mercy  of  a redeeming  Saviour. 

There  has  been  something  of  a revival  here  this  winter. 
Quite  a number  have  been  converted,  and  there  is  still 
some  interest.  Some  pious  parents,  who  have  long  prayed 
for  the  conversion  of  their  sons,  have  rejoiced  to  know 
that  they  have  prevailed  with  God.  Some  holy  souls  have 


SAVING  SOULS. 


G5 


rejoiced  to  see  these  sinners  returning  to  their  only  Re- 
deemer. 

What  a change  this  conversion  is ! How  different  one’s 
views  before  and  after  conversion ! The  world  — a dying 
world  — then  calls  aloud  for  the  knowledge  of  a Saviour’s 
love,  and  the  converted  heart  feels  like  listening  to  and 
obeying  the  call.  His  life  is  given  up  to  his  Master ; and 
it  matters  little  to  him  whether  it  be  spent  amid  the  ice 
of  Greenland,  the  hot  sands  of  Africa,  the  barbarians  of 
India,  or  where  knowledge  and  peace  are  spread  wide  and 
universal.  Yet  he  does  often  feel  as  though  the  bright 
land  of  New  England  is  too  good  for  him;  that  the  cries 
of  the  dying  heathen  should  be  answered ; that  Christ’s 
command,  “ Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gos- 
pel to  every  creature,”  should  be  obeyed.  And  this  is 
natural,  for  what  would  he  not  give  for  the  knowledge  of 
Jesus,  far  away  amid  the  darkness  of  pagan  superstition 
and  idolatry?  He  feels  that  those  immortal  souls  are 
living  for  eternal  woe,  if  he  give  them  not  the  gospel. 
Hence  the  reason  why  so  many  converts  in  colleges  go 
and  proclaim  to  such  the  everlasting  truth  of  God.  And 
it  is  a noble  work ! 

Yes,  mother,  this  business  of  saving  souls  is  a great 
business ; and  are  you  at  all  times  living  so  that  you  can  feel 
this  truth  ? Let  us  remember  to  pray  and  faint  not,  for 
our  end  is  at  hand.  Yes,  soon  shall  we  wing  our  way  to 
our  Father’s  bosom;  and  when  we  remember  this,  let  it 
encourage  us  to  do  our  duty  while  we  stay;  for  then 
great  shall  be  our  reward.  Be  careful,  mother,  of  your 
example  and  influence.  I received  a letter  from  H.  a few 
days  ago,  and  I hope  she  will  live  devoted  to  God.  I hope 
to  see  and  talk  with  you  all  soon.  Tell  the  children 
to  read  the  Bible  a little  before  I come  home,  or  they 
may  find  it  hard  to  answer  some  questions  which  may  be 
asked  them.  God  be  with  you. 

Yours,  with  affection, 

6*  Henry. 


CHAPTER  V. 


Professional  Studies  — Inducements  to  delay  — Medical  and  Theological  Stud- 
ies at  New  Haven  — Freedom  of  Thought  and  Speech  — Medical  Diploma  — 
At  Auburn  — Severe  Mental  Conflict  — Extracts  from  Diary  — Peace  in  Be- 
lieving— Danbury  Institute  — Marriage  — Translation  of  Prof.  DeFelices’ 
History  of  the  Protestants  of  France  — Establishment  of  the  Second  Congre- 
gational Church  in  Danbury — Letter  to  its  Members  — Offers  himself  to  the 
service  of  the  American  Board  — Preference  for  China  — Willingness  to  go  to 
Mosul — Residence  at  Andover  — Attendance  on  Hospital  Practice  in  New 
York  — Various  Other  Engagements  — Warns  his  Brother  against  Similar 
Haste. 


Numerous  and  inviting  are  the  avenues  to  honor  and 
profit  which  open  before  a young  man,  who  leaves  one  of 
our  American  colleges  with  a reputation  for  superior  tal- 
ents and  distinguished  scholarship.  So  far  from  being 
under  the  necessity,  like  those  who  have  finished  the  aca- 
demic course  in  one  of  the  Universities  of  Great  Britain, 
or  on  the  Continent,  of  pursuing  professional  studies  for  a 
definite  number  of  years  afterwards,  and  then  of  waiting, 
perhaps  a still  longer  time,  for  some  incumbent  to  die  be- 
fore he  can  obtain  a situation,  there  are  only  too  many 
opportunities,  real  or  fancied,  of  immediate  wealth  and 
distinction,  which  throng  around  him  to  allure  him  from 
the  path  of  self-denying  duty,  or  at  least  to  turn  him 
aside  from  the  course  of  severe  discipline  and  thorough 
preparation  by  some  shorter  road  to  the  summit  of  influ- 
ence and  usefulness,  on  which  his  eye  is  fixed.  It  is  not 
strange  that  many  ambitious  youth,  who  have  struggled 
on  through  years  of  poverty,  yield  to  such  temptations. 
They  would  have  had  strong  attractions,  not  to  say  an 
irresistible  power,  over  a person  constituted  and  situated 
as  Lobdell  was  when  he  left  college,  if  his  heart  had  not 


PROFESSIONAL  STUDIES  AT  NEW  IIAVEN. 


G7 


been  touched  by  the  grace  of  God,  and  made  true  to  his 
will,  as  the  needle  to  the  magnetic  pole.  Thus,  drawn  by 
higher  attractions,  lie  felt  no  disposition  to  turn  aside  from 
the  great  work  to  which  he  had  devoted  his  life.  lie 
was  somewhat  tempted  to  delay,  for  a year  or  more,  his 
professional  studies.  He  was  solicited  to  take  the  charge 
of  a High  School,  with  a large  salary.  lie  was  urged  to 
become  a tutor  in  Williston  Seminary,  where,  though 
the  emoluments  would  have  been  less,  the  honors  and 
pleasures  would  have  been  greater.  But  he  was  eager  to 
be  in  the  field  which  he  had  chosen  and  wdiich  Providence 
seemed  to  have  been  marking  out  for  him  from  the  very 
commencement  of  his  medical  studies,  long  before  he  ever 
thought  of  being  a missionary  or  a minister — the  field  of 
medico-ministerial  missionary  labor ; and  he  decided  to  en- 
ter at  once  upon  the  preparation.  A few  weeks  spent  in 
visiting  his  friends,  (with  the  usual  accompaniment  of  tem- 
perance addresses  and  religious  labors,)  and  in  preparing 
and  sending  some  of  his  best  college  essays  to  the  Knicker- 
bocker* and  other  magazines  (thus  gathering  up  the  frag- 
ments that  nothing  might  be  lost) — having  in  the  mean 
time  attended  also,  and  eyyoyed,  as  a hungry  man  enjoys 
delicious  food,  the  meeting  of  the  American  Board  at  Pitts- 
field — after  a few  weeks  thus  spent,  we  find  him  about 
the  middle  of  October,  1849,  in  New  Haven,  with  two 
strings  to  his  bow  as  usual,  and  both  stretched  to  their 
utmost  tension,  attending  the  full  course  of  medical  lec- 
tures, and,  at  the  same  time,  studying  Hebrew  with  Prof. 
Gibbs,  and  Theology  with  Dr.  Taylor,  besides  stealing  now 
and  then  a lecture  from  Prof.  Silliman,  or  some  other  pro- 
fessor whom  he  particularly  desired  to  hear.  “ Every 
thing  seems  to  stimulate  to  effort  here,”  he  writes.  “ Li- 
braries open  their  huge  tomes  to  the  student.  Professors 

*The  Essay  which  appeared  in  the  Knickerbocker,  (Sept.  1349.)  was  on  “The 
Times  and  Poetry  of  Chaucer.”  It  led  to  an  interview  with  the  editor,  and  a 
cordial  invitation  to  become  a stated  contributor. 


68 


MEMOIR  OP  LOBDELL. 


are  about,  thick  as  locusts,  though  differing  from  the 
Egyptian  kind,  inasmuch  as  they  nourish , and  do  not 
devour.”  “ It  makes  one  feel  that  ‘ some  things  can  be 
done  as  well  as  others.’  I hope  to  be  able  to  work,  and 
to  have  all  my  energies  consecrated  to  the  service  of  God. 
Be  it  my  prayer  to  toil  only  for  God  and  good.”  The 
peculiar  ethical  and  theological  philosophy  of  Dr.  Taylor 
could  not  but  engage  his  attention.  “ Dr.  Bushnell’s 
Views  ” also  “ perplexed  ” him  “ considerably.”  He  did 
not  become  a partisan  for  or  against  either  of  them.  But 
he  was  a strenuous  advocate  for  the  utmost  freedom  of 
thinking  and  printing.  “ It  does  seem  as  if  the  wars  be- 
tween Old  School  and  New  School  have  been  as  savage, 
almost,  as  the  fires  of  the  Inquisition.”  “ Free  thought 
and  fair  and  honest  criticism  are  the  only  safeguards  from 
a persecuting  mob.  Let  us  have  these,  and  truth  will  be 
found.  But  so  long  as  a man  is  afraid  to  open  his  mouth, 
if  he  cannot  think  exactly  as  the  Fathers  did,  there  must, 
of  necessity,  be  a stand-still  in  theology.” 

But  neither  theology  nor  medicine  so  engrossed  his 
thoughts  but  that  he  was  ever  ready  to  press  home  upon 
his  fellow-students,  personally,  the  great  truths  and  duties 
of  religion — upon  the  medical  students  the  truth  of 
Christianity,  and  upon  the  theological,  the  duty  of  preach- 
ing the  gospel  to  every  creature.  * And  he  was  never  so 
exhausted  by  the  labors  of  the  week,  but  that  when  Sun- 
day came,  he  was  glad  to  go  and  teach  a class  in  the 
County  “Jail.”  On  the  17th  of  January,  1850,  he  was 
examined  and  received  his  diploma,  as  Doctor  of  Medi- 
cine ; and  on  the  same  day  took  leave  of  his  theological 
teachers  and  other  friends  in  New  Haven,  from  whom  he 
parted,  as  they  did  from  him,  with  sincere  regret  and 
affection. 

But  friends  of  an  earlier  date — the  friends  of  his  boy- 
hood and  his  college  life  — called  him  to  Auburn  ; and 
when  his  medical  studies  were  finished,  in  accordance  with 


AT  AUBUIIN. 


69 


a previous  promise  and  plan,  he  obeyed  the  call ; and, 
after  a flying  visit  to  his  relatives  in  Fairfield  County, 
(made  two  days  longer  than  it  otherwise  would  have  been 
for  the  sole  purpose  of  “ preaching  the  Lamb  of  God,  the 
Saviour  of  sinners,  at  the  Iron  Works  School  House,  on 
Sunday  evening,”)  we  find  him  at  Auburn,  rooming  with 
one  of  those  friends,  sleeping  with  another,  and  already 
engaged  in  the  study  of  theology  under  Dr.  Hickok. 

It  is  not  unfrequently  the  case  that  the  first  year  in  the 
Theological  Seminary  is  marked  by  severe  mental  con- 
flicts. The  student  now,  for  the  first  time,  perhaps, 
encounters  in  their  full  strength  the  objections  that  have 
been  urcred  against  the  books  and  the  doctrines  of  the 
Christian  Revelation.  Or,  if  these  objections  are  already 
familiar,  they  come  back  upon  him  with  renewed  and  com- 
bined power  now,  when  it  is  his  business  to  look  them  in 
the  face,  to  grapple  with  them  hand  to  hand,  and  conquer 
them,  if  possible,  not  for  himself  only,  but  for  those  he 
may  be  called  to  teach  the  truths  of  religion.  Sometimes 
it  seems  as  if  the  very  heavens  over  his  head  would  fall, 
and  the  solid  earth  be  removed  and  cast  into  the  midst  of 
the  sea.  The  process,  though  painful,  is  needful  and 
wholesome  to  the  soul.  Without  it,  the  student  in  theol- 
ogy never  could  have  seen  so  clearly  how  deep  and  solid 
the  foundations  of  Christian  truth  are,  nor  would  lie  ever 
have  appreciated  so  highly  the  unspeakable  value  of  his 
faith  and  hope  in  Christ. 

Such  a conflict  is  the  most  marked  feature  of  Dr.  Lob- 
dell’s  history  in  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Auburn. 
Ilis  doubts,  however,  concerned  not  so  much  the  evidences 
of  Christianity  and  the  divine  authority  of  the  Scriptures, 
for  these  points  were  immovably  established  in  that  great 
conflict  which  preceded  his  conversion ; but  his  chief  diffi- 
culties now  respected  the  person  of  the  Redeemer,  the 
nature  of  the  atonement,  and  the  eternity  of  future  pun- 
ishment. His  diary  tells  the  whole  story;  indeed,  for 


70 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


many  weeks  it  scarcely  tells  any  thing  else.  Cries  of  an- 
guish are  extorted  from  him,  as  he  wrestles  with  his  own 
spirit ; and  the  reader,  who  is  permitted  to  look  in  upon 
the  struggle,  can  not  but  be  moved  to  sympathy  and  com- 
passion,  though  he  foresees  the  happy  issue.  The  follow- 
ing extracts  will  afford  some  glimpses  of  the  workings  of 
his  mind : 

Feb.  15,  1850.  “Reading  Letters  to  a Trinitarian,  by 
George  Rush.  Much  troubled  in  mind.  Oh  for  divine 
light ! ” 

17,  Sunday.  “ Am  resolved  not  to  investigate  abstruse 
and  disputed  points  in  theology  any  more,  when  I am  not 
in  a state  of  mind  that  rests  filially  on  God.  I must  live 
near  to  him,  or  I can  not  come  to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus. 
Oh  how  my  mind  is  working  on  these  difficulties!  It  can 
not  be  satisfied.  I pray  for  divine  guidance.  Life  is  short ; 
I must  be  in  earnest.  I hope  never  to  discuss  religious 
propositions  for  the  sake  of  mere  discussion ; and  always 
to  acknowledge  being  beaten  when  I see  my  defeat.” 

20.  “ My  mind  is  harassed  with  doubts ; and,  O my 
God,  shall  I ever  see  the  truth  ? I would  fly  to  it,  as  the 
dove  did  to  the  peaks  of  Ararat,  could  I discern  the  rock 
amid  the  waves.  God  has  not  given  a revelation  to  man 
which  all  his  efforts  are  unable  to  comprehend,  especially  in 
its  most  vital  points.  No,  I may  be  blind  that  I do  not  see 
the  truths  of  the  Word  as  they  are,  yet  I do  feel  that  I 
want  to  do  so.  I can  not  sympathize  with  some  notions 
prevalent  now  in  the  Orthodox  churches,  more  than  I can 
with  some  of  the  tenets  of  the  Unitarians.  But  if  hard 
work  will  enable  me  to  discover  the  real  truth,  I icill  find 
it ; and,  by  the  grace  of  God,  I will  follow  it.  I must 
read  the  Word  more,  and  for  the  present  make  it  my 
chief  business  to  settle  the  foundations  of  my  faith.” 

21.  “ Think  I have  found  a demonstration  of  the  falsity 
of  the  Swedenborgian  doctrine  of  the  Incarnation  in 
physiology.  I shall  write  to  Prof.  Bush  to-day  about  it, 
as  ho  jwofesses  to  be  open  to  conviction.” 


MNNTAL  CONFLICT. 


71 


23.  “Last  night,  as  I heard  of  my  brother’s  conversion, 

I could  but  praise  God  from  the  heart ; for  I am  sure  such 
a change  always  effects  good.  Oh  that  I could  see  the 
real  will  of  God  concerning  me ! I am  willing  to  do  any 
thing — to  be  any  thing — even  to  go  to  the  gallows  for 
the  truth’s  sake.  But  what  is  truth  ? . . . This  idea, 

that  Christ  is  but  a manifestation  of  Jehovah,  seems  to 
darken  my  way  in  prayer.  I read  the  Bible  most  dili- 
gently ; for  here  I must  stand  or  fall.  Of  its  credibility 
and  consequent  authority,  I have  no  doubt ; but  how  shall 
it  be  interpreted  ? ” 

24,  Sunday.  “ I was  affected  in  teaching  my  class  in 
prison.  Oh  for  the  spirit  of  love  and  devotion ! ” 

28,  Fast  for  Colleges.  “Skepticism  is  poisoning  my 
piety.  God  save,  or  I perish ! I would  do  any  thing  to 
come  to  the  truth.  I was  much  affected  this  morning  in 
reading  the  declaration  of  the  Saviour,  that  man  must  be 
‘born  again.’  Christianity  either  makes  known  eternal 
flames,  or  its  mission  has  been  vastly  mistaken  by  men.  I 
can  sympathize  with  heart-felt  prayer,  for  my  very  soul 
declares  that  this  is  acceptable  to  God.” 

March  1.  “Dr.  Bushnell’s  writings  have  caused  me 
many  an  hour  of  doubt  and  trouble.  I can  but  feel  that 
his  views  detract  from  the  true  glory  of  Christ,  as  c the 
sent  of  God.’  But  I honor  him  for  publishing  them,  if  he 
thought  them  truth . And  did  he  not  ? ” 

4.  “ The  missionary  meeting  this  morning  was  very 

interesting.  It  does  seem  if  a man  prepared  to  preach 
believes  the  heathen  are  going  to  an  eternal  hell,  he  can 
not  refuse  to  offer  himself  to  God,  hoping  to  go  to  them 
with  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation.  Oh  how  much  unbe- 
lief there  is  among  Christians!  And  this,  more  than 
almost  any  thing  else,  makes  me  doubt  some  of  the  cardi- 
nal truths.  This  evening,  at  our  meeting,  I urged  several 
brethren  to  go  on  a foreign  mission ; but  they  could  not 
see  it  their  duty.” 


72 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


5.  “ I am  giving  much  attention  to  the  Bible,  deter- 

mined to  make  my  faith  rest  implicitly  on  its  teachings ; 
for  it  is  truth.  . . . To-day  went  forth  with  tracts  for 

the  people.”  (He  had  given  up  tract  distribution,  when 
his  mental  conflict  was  at  its  height.  He  is  now  mani- 
festly working  his  way  out.)  “ This  is  a good  work  for 
the  soul.  Would  that  Christians  generally  were  more 
engaged  in  tract  distribution.” 

9.  “ This  is  a lovely  morning  ; all  is  beautiful  without, 
and  in  my  own  soul , I feel  a peace  unusual.  My  life  I 
devote  once  more  to  the  service  of  God  and  man  in 
solemn  consecration.  I feel  more  and  more  the  necessity 
of  a high-toned  spirituality  in  order  to  avoid  the  reception 
of  error  in  my  struggles  after  truth.  I suppose  my  educa- 
tion in  early  life  has  made  my  mind  what  it  is.  And  yet, 
as  in  the  study  of  a language,  there  must  at  first  be  diffi- 
cult points,  may  it  not  be  thus  in  theology  ? Day  will 
soon  begin  to  dawn.  Thus  I hope.” 

10,  Sunday.  “How  much  I do  owe  to  Jesus!  Begone 
all  skepticism  and  all  doubt ! I will  try  to  live  the  Chris- 
tian life,  whether  evangelical  Christianity  be  truth  or  a 
fable.  So  help  me  God.  This  alone  satisfies  the  cravings 
of  my  immortal  nature,  and  this  is  the  highest  demonstra- 
tion of  its  credibility.  Oh  that  from  this  hour  I may  be 
humble  and  self-denying ! All  I have  my  Heavenly 
Father  has  given  me ; all  I have  to  him  be  consecrate.  I 
hope  to  begin  my  morrow’s  labors  with  a heart  of  deep 
love  to  God  and  man.” 

The  biographer  of  the  late  lamented  Dr.  Arnold  re- 
marks, that  “Arnold’s  doubts  were  better  than  most 
men’s  certainties.”  Do  not  the  above  extracts  manifest  a 
desire  to  know  the  truth,  and  a determination  to  follow  it, 
though  it  should  lead  to  the  stake ; do  they  not  breathe  a 
spirit  of  truth  and  of  love — love  to  Christ,  love  to  man, 
and  love  to  God — which  is  far  more  Christian  than  a 
dogmatic  and  uncharitable  orthodoxy,  though  it  be  of  the 


TIIE  VICTORY. 


73 


straitest  sect  ? And  when  such  a mind  docs  settle  down 
upon  the  great  evangelical  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  and 
find  rest  and  peace  on  that  firm  foundation,  its  testimony 
is  of  some  value,  as  the  testimony  of  undoubted  honesty 
and  thorough  experience.  It  will  be  seen,  however,  that 
Dr.  Lobdell  did  not  gain  the  victory  by  battling  directly 
with  doubts  and  difficulties.  He  studied  the  Word  of 
God,  with  earnest  prayer  for  divine  guidance  ; he  inter- 
preted that  Word  according  to  the  common  laws  of  inter- 
pretation ; he  found  in  it  the  doctrines  of  evangelical 
Christianity ; he  saw  their  truth,  not  so  much  by  the  eye  of 
reason,  as  by  the  eye  of  faith  and  spiritual  intuition ; his 
whole  soul  felt  that  they  were  true,  because  they  met  his 
own  wants,  and  corresponded  with  his  own  experience  un- 
der the  teaching  and  illumination  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  And 
it  is  in  some  such  way  as  this,  that  doubting  minds,  which 
are  anxious  to  know  the  truth,  usually  find  relief. 

Scarcely  had  Dr.  Lobdell  settled  these  questions,  involv- 
ing, as  he  felt,  the  very  life  of  his  soul  — settled  them  at 
least  so  far  as  to  find  peace  in  believing — when  he  was 
unexpectedly  called  to  decide  another  question,  which,  he 
could  not  but  think,  had  an  important  bearing  on  the 
whole  course  of  his  present  life.  He  was  invited  and 
urged  to  take  charge  of  the  Danbury  Institute,  a board- 
ing school  for  boys,  which  was  already  in  successful  opera- 
tion, and  promised  an  ample  pecuniary  return.  By  taking 
it,  he  flattered  himself  he  could  pay  off  all  his  debts, 
which,  owing  to  the  death  of  an  uncle  of  whom  he  had 
borrowed  money,  were,  just  at  this  time,  pressing  hard 
upon  him,  provide  a surplus  sufficient  to  carry  him  com- 
fortably through  his  jwofessional  studies,  and  relieve 
him,  for  the  remainder  of  his  stay  in  this  country, 
from  those  embarrassments  which  had  hitherto  harassed 
him  more  or  less  all  his  days.  Besides,  he  could  educate, 
to  a considerable  extent,  his  younger  brother  and  sisters, 
and,  in  this  and  other  ways,  pay  a debt  he  owed  to  those 
7 


74 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


parents,  who,  though  unable  to  do  for  him  what  they 
would,  had  never  failed  to  do  what  they  could  for  his  edu- 
cation, and  who  felt  that ; in  giving  him  up  to  the  mission- 
ary service,  they  were  going  to  lose  the  prop  of  their 
declining  years.  He  would  like,  also,  to  do  something 
more  for  education  and  religion  in  his  native  town  and 
county,  before  he  went  to  a foreign  land.  At  the  same 
time,  he  thought  the  school  itself  would  afford  him  at 
once  an  inviting  field  of  present  usefulness,  and  not  a bad 
preparation  for  the  practical  duties  of  the  missionary 
work. 

Another  consideration  had  weight  with  him — we  will 
not  say  how  much  weight ; perhaps  some  of  our  readers 
will  think  it  turned  the  scales.  As  long  ago  as  when  he 
was  a boy,  on  the  farm  in  Reading,  he  had  a school-mate, 
whose  bright  face,  active  mind,  warm  heart,  and  winning 
ways,  made  an  impression  on  him,  which  no  change  of 
place,  no  lapse  of  time,  no  vicissitude  of  life,  ever  effaced. 
This  school-mate  of  his  early  boyhood  was  to  be  the 
friend  of  his  youth,  and  the  companion  of  his  riper  years. 
W e have  seen  him  writing  letters  to  her  in  Greek,  Latin, 
French  and  English,  while  engaged  in  his  preparatory 
studies.  These  letters  were  continued  when  he  was 
better  able  to  write  in  a foreign  language,  but  probably 
less  disposed  to  display  his  learning.  Her  name  appears 
on  the  first  page  of  his  first  journal ; and  it  appears,  also, 
on  the  last  page  of  his  last.  Her  Christian  life  commenced 
about  the  same  time  as  his.  His  consecration  to  the  life 
of  a missionary  met  from  her  a ready  response.  One 
motive  which  influenced  him  to  take  his  first  course  of 
medical  lectures  in  New  York,  was  a desire  to  afford  her 
better  advantages  for  mental  culture.  She  was  doubtless 
satisfied  with  her  instruction — she  studied  chiefly  with 
him.  This  was  her  college  course.  And  she  was  destined 
to  pursue  her  professional  studies,  if  we  may  so  call  them, 
under  the  same  accomplished  teacher.  The  invitation  to 


MARRIAGE. 


75 


the  Boarding  School  in  Danbury,  which  was  the  property 
of  a mutual  friend  of  theirs,  and  in  which  she  was  already 
an  assistant  teacher,  was  accompanied  by  a suggestion 
that  he  should  be  married.  This  seemed  essential  to 
the  plan.  After  much  consultation  and  deliberation,  he 
decided  to  undertake  the  enterprise.  It  involved  the 
sundering  of  old  ties,  as  well  as  the  forming  of  new  ones. 
He  had  to  tear  himself  away  from  friends  scarcely  less 
dear  than  those  to  whom  he  was  to  join  himself.  Some 
of  his  friends  at  Auburn  feared , some  of  those  at  Danbury 
hoped,  that  it  would  be  the  end  at  once  of  his  theological 
studies,  and  of  his  missionary  plans  and  purposes  ; “ but 
they  little  know,”  he  writes,  44  the  strength  of  our  attach- 
ment to  the  cause  of  the  heathen.”  He  was  obliged  to 
break  away  from  studies  which  were  endeared  to  him  by 
the  very  struggle  they  had  cost  him,  as  well  as  by  the 
promise  they  now  gave  of  shining,  like  the  rising  sun, 
with  increasing  light  44  unto  the  perfect  day ; ” but  he 
hoped  to  resume  them  at  some  future  time,  free  from 
pecuniary  embarrassments,  and  under  more  favorable 
circumstances. 

He  left  Auburn  on  the  20th  of  March.  On  the  9th  of 
April,  1850,  he  was  married  in  Ridgefield,  Fairfield 
County,  Ct.,  to  Miss  Lucy  Williams,  of  whom,  as  she  still 
lives,  it  is  enough  to  say  that  with  congenial  tastes  and 
views,  she  possessed  other  qualities  that  were  unlike  and 
compensatory  to  those  of  her  husband,  and  that  nature, 
providence  and  grace,  had  fitted  her  to  be  the  companion 
and  help-meet  of  Dr.  Lobdell.  Born  in  the  same  44  hill 
country,”  and  in  a like  humble  lot,  taught  early  in  the 
same  common  schools,  and  living  ever  after  in  the  constant 
interchange  of  kind  wishes  and  good  deeds,  with  a process 
of  mutual  influence  and  assimilation  going  on  continually 
between  them — like  the  two  rivers  of  Mesopotamia, 
whose  banks  were  to  be  the  scene  of  their  future  labors, 
whose  sources  gush  forth  from  the  same  mountain  range, 


76 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


and  whose  streams,  for  hundreds  of  miles,  flow  on  almost 
side  by  side  through  the  same  broad  valley,  with  innumer- 
able channels  of  inter-communication  between  them — so 
these  two  lives,  after  flowing  on  for  years  in  separate  yet 
parallel  and  connected  streams,  were  henceforth  to  be 
united  in  one ; but  alas,  like  those  same  rivers,  through 
how  short  a distance ! 

The  Boarding  School  opened  auspiciously  soon  after  the 
marriage.  He  continued  in  it  a year  and  a quarter,  giving 
good  satisfaction  to  his  patrons  and  to  the  community, 
realizing  in  considerable  measure,  though  not  fully,  the 
solid  advantages  he  had  anticipated  for  himself,  and  mov- 
ing on  with  constantly  accelerated  velocity  in  the  wear 
and  tear  and  work  of  life.  He  was  too  busy  at  this  period 
to  write  a journal.  He  wrote  few  letters  but  those  of 
business  and  necessity.  We  have,  therefore,  compara- 
tively few  records  of  this  portion  of  his  life. 

A circular,  issued  at  the  close  of  his  first  year,  contains 
some  rather  characteristic  ideas  touching  the  government 
and  education  of  boys,  and  exhibits,  incidentally,  some  of 
the  results  of  his  experience : “ It  is  considered  a primary 
object  to  educate  boys  to  depend  on  themselves  for  the 
attainment  of  what  they  undertake,  and  to  enter  upon 
their  chosen  employment  under  a full  persuasion  that  of 
those  who  fear  God,  not  one  in  a thousand  need  fail  of 
success  in  judiciously  chosen  pursuits.” 

“Those  who  endeavor  to  do  well,  should  always  be 
permitted  to  feel  that  they  are  approved,  and  that  they 
enjoy  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  their  preceptor  and 
friends,  in  proportion  to  the  faithfulness  of  the  effort, 
rather  than  the  extend  of  their  attainment;  and  to  feel 
that  there  is  a reward  in  the  consciousness  of  doing  right.” 

“ Those  persons  are  now  boys  who  are  soon  to  take  the 
possession  of  this  country,  and  to  control  the  destiny  of 
the  world.  There  is,  therefore,  no  more  honorable  and  im- 
portant occupation  than  that  of  their  teacher.  It  is  always 


PRINCIPLES  OF  EDUCATION. 


77 


our  custom  to  treat  pupils  with  that  respect  and  considera- 
tion which  is  due  to  the  stations  they  are  expected  to  fill. 
Thus  they  learn  to  respect  themselves,  and  form  the  design 
of  fulfilling  their  own  hopes,  and  the  just  expectations  of 
their  friends.  This  will  furnish  the  best  discipline,  both 
of  the  mind  and  manners.” 

“ In  the  course  of  a long  experience,  it  has  been  found 
that  some  who  suffered  under  the  reputation  of  being  bad 
boys,  were  entirely  misunderstood.  In  all  such  cases 
committed  to  our  care,  it  has  been  found  that,  without  any 
special  effort  with  them,  they  have  become,  at  once,  prom- 
inent among  the  best  in  the  school.  It  would  be  a very 
remarkable  case,  if  a boy  had  no  good  qualities.  A skillful 
teacher  will  discover  these  ; and  with  this  hint  he  can  not 
well  mistake  the  proper  treatment.  No  really  vicious  or 
incorrigible  boy  can  be  retained  under  any  pretext  Avhat- 
ever.” 

“Young  persons  should  be  educated  in  the  world  in 
which  they  are  expected  to  live,  and  should  be  prepared 
for  the  dangers  they  must  encounter.  It  is  not  sufficient 
to  place  them  alone  upon  a mountain  top,  whence  they 
may  discover  the  world  and  its  dangers  at  a distance, 
with  the  aid  of  a telescope.  While  they  are  carefully 
shielded  from  contagion,  they  should  be  surrounded  by 
pleasant  circumstances,  and  enjoy  the  wholesome  influence 
of  good  examples.” 

“The  study  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  and  religious  in- 
struction are  daily  attended  to.” 

Besides  the  care  of  the  school,  and  his  usual  activity  in 
the  cause  of  temperance  and  the  salvation  of  men,  there 
were  two  enterprises,  of  a public  nature,  which,  we  know, 
occupied  not  a little  of  his  time  and  thoughts,  during  his 
connection  with  the  Danbury  Institute. 

The  first  was  a translation  of  a large  octavo  volume 
from  the  French.  The  following  letter,  in  which  he 
acquaints  his  friend  with  the  work  in  which  he  was  already 
7 * 


78 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


engaged,  will  suffice,  also,  for  the  information  of  the 
reader.  The  surgical  operation  mentioned  at  the  begin- 
ning also  illustrates  the  variety  of  his  engagements  at 
this  time  : 


Danbury,  Jan.  7th,  1851. 

My  ever  dear  J. : — To  be  plain  with  you,  I am  tre- 
mendously hurried.  This  was  doubtless  the  cause  of  my 
being  taken  sick  a few  weeks  ago.  . . . On  Sunday,  I 

assisted  Dr.  Bennett  in  taking  off  the  arm  of  a woman  at 
the  shoulder  joint ; a thing  never  done  but  once  before  in 
this  State,  I believe.  She  had  the  same  trouble  with 
which  I was  threatened.  It  is  not,  however,  epidemic. 
It  was  a terrible  operation ; she  seemed  to  be  dying  dur- 
ing the  process — Dr.  Knight’s  patient  did  die — but  ours 
revived,  contrary  to  the  expectations  of  all  of  us. 

As  to  business,  I am  at  work  upon  a translation  of  G. 
de  F.’s — the  Observer  correspondent — Ilistoire  des  Pro- 
testants of  France,  a volume  of  six  hundred  and  fifty 
octavo  pages:  and  my  printer  demands  of  me  about 
twenty  pages  daily.  Oh!  how  it  pushes;  but  I think  I 
shall  get  through  it.  lie  stereotypes  the  book,  and  gives 
me  so  much  a copy.  I have  finished  about  two  hundred 
pages — hope  to  finish  it  in  a month.  I did  Intend  to  put 
in  fifty  pages  of  notes ; but  I have  hardly  time  to  prepare 
them.  Monsieur  de  Felice  is  Professor  in  the  French 
Protestant  Seminary,  at  Montauban.  Monsieur  L.  Pilate 
has  given  me  a flattering  account  of  him.  More  anon. 
Now  do  excuse  me;  I was  up  at  three  this  morning. 
Look  out,  J.;  do  n’t  do  too  much.  We  must  both  be  care- 
ful. I would  love  to  be  with  you.  . 

Yours  affectionately, 

II.  Lobdell. 

P.  S.  Written  at  recess.  Please  excuse,  &c. 

The  book  was  well  received.  It  is  before  the  public, 
and  will  speak  for  itself. 


SECOND  CHURCH  IN  DANBURY. 


70 


The  other  enterprise  above  referred  to  was  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Second  Congregational  Church  in  Danbury, 
in  whose  origin  he  felt  a deep  interest,  and  took  an  active 
and  prominent  part.  The  old  Congregational  Church 
and  society  there  was  large,  wealthy,  and  almost  entirely 
supported  by  an  ample  fund.  The  consequence  need  not 
be  told.  Dr.  Lobdell  thought  it  in  imminent  danger  of 
dying  by  plethora,  and  of  course  recommended  bleeding, 
in  other  words,  colonization.  Of  course  all  the  doctors  — 
(and  there  are  many  who  deem  themselves  competent  to 
prescribe  in  such  a case) — did  not  agree;  and  a pretty 
severe  conflict  was  the  result.  But  there  can  be  but  one 
opinion  as  to  the  motives  of  Dr.  Lobdell.  His  sole  object 
was  to  promote  the  cause  of  Christ  by  making,  if  possible, 
two  working  churches  instead  of  one  that  was  sitting  at 
ease  — at  all  events,  by  establishing  one  truly  missionary 
church,  who  should  esteem  personal  efforts  for  the  salva- 
tion of  souls  and  for  the  conversion  of  the  world,  their 
great  life-work. 

The  following  letter,  sent  back  to  the  church  from  his 
missionary  station,  lets  us  look  into  the  very  depths  of  his 
heart.  Would  that  it  could  be  read  to  every  church  in 
our  land ! 

Mosul,  March  2d,  1854. 

To  the  Members  of  the  Second  Congregational 
Church  in  Danbury  : 

Dear  Brethren  and  Sisters  : — It  has  long  been  in 
my  heart  to  write  you  a note  expressive  of  my  deep  inter- 
est in  you  as  members  of  the  same  church  with  myself ; 
and  had  I not  presumed  that  you  have  occasionally  listened 
to  extracts  from  my  letters  to  our  dear  pastor,  I should 
have  done  so  ere  now. 

I think  I may  venture  to  speak  very  freely  to  you,  even 
as  I used  to  when  among  you.  You  will  certainly  believe 
that  I have  no  desire  but  to  make  Christ  more  dear  to 


80 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


you.  He  is  to  me  my  life,  my  all.  I could  not  stay  in  this 
wicked  city  a single  month  longer,  and  be  at  ease,  without 
Christ  to  dwell  with  me.  Faith  in  him — a faith  working 
by  love — is  the  only  support  of  the  soul.  I say,  a faith 
that  works , for  all  faith  that  is  without  works  is  dead — is 
no  faith  at  all,  any  more  than  a corpse  is  a man.  The 
missionary’s  joy  arises  from  his  labors  for  Christ;  not  that 
he  feels  that  they  are  deserving  of  any  thing  good,  but 
Christ  reveals  himself  to  all  who  try  to  please  him,  so 
that  labors  of  love  have  their  ever-present  reward.  It  is 
not  striving  to  secure  hereafter  the  blessedness  of  heaven, 
that  leads  him  to  labor ; it  is  the  consciousness  that  Jesus 
is  pleased  with  him  while  he  is  at  work.  No  Christian 
can  be  happy  unless  he  makes  daily  efforts  to  bless  others ; 
taking  up  the  cross  is  essential  to  Christian  joy. 

And  now,  my  dear  friends,  I do  not  wish  you  to  infer 
that  I suppose  I can  labor  in  Mosul  to  the  glory  of  God, 
any  better  than  each  one  of  you  can  in  Danbury.  Who- 
ever has  a heart  to  do  something  for  human  salvation,  can 
always  find  opportunity  to  do  it.  And  let  me  ask  of  you, 
do  you  all  work  as  earnestly  and  as  faithfully  as  your 
Lord  requires?  “ Ye  are  my  friends,  if  ye  do  whatsoever 
I command  you,”  says  Christ ; and  this  implies,  that  un- 
less we  make  vigorous  efforts  to  fulfill  his  commandments, 
we  cannot  be  his  friends.  Christ’s  command  is,  that  “we 
go  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gospel.”  Now,  my 
dear  friends,  are  you  doing  all  that  is  required  of  you  in 
this  matter  ? I do  not  ask  if  you  make  pecuniary  sacri- 
fices to  sustain  your  church  services  — this  I know  you  do. 
But  I ask  you  if  you  engage  in  those  personal  labors  for 
Christ,  which  are  of  more  consequence  than  giving  money 
to  the  Lord  ? The  silver  and  the  gold  are  his  ; you  are 
only  his  stewards.  Your  ow vi  character  is  yours  — this 
only.  Now  do  you  manifest  the  character  of  Christ?  Do 
you  make  it  a rule  to  attend  all  the  exercises  of  your 
church  ? Do  you  love  the  prayer  meeting  ? Do  you  labor 


LETTER. 


81 


in  the  Sunday  School  ? Do  you  go  out  into  the  highways 
to  bring  the  people  in  ? Do  you  pray,  as  you  ought,  for 
the  heathen  at  home  and  the  heathen  abroad?  Do  you 
love  to  hear  of  the  work  of  the  Lord,  as  you  love  to  hear 
news  from  California  or  Washington  ? Are  you  enough 
interested  in  the  great  moral  revolutions  now  going  on  in 
Turkey,  China  and  India  ? Do  you  love  the  monthly  con- 
cert, as  do  the  Protestants  in  Mosul  ? They  esteem  it  a 
great  favor  to  hear  of  the  progress  of  the  gospel  every 
month.  They  almost  invariably  attend  all  our  prayer 
meetings ; and  though  when  the  church  was  first  organ- 
ized, it  was  thought  a shame  by  persons  outside  of  the 
church  for  some  of  them  to  pray  publicly,  they  are  all 
ready  to  pray,  when  asked,  and  at  all  proper  times.  They 
make  it  their  chief  business  to  preach  Christ  at  their 
homes,  at  their  neighbors’,  in  their  shops,  whenever  and 
wherever  they  may.  They  are  a working  church  — a sort 
of  apostolic  set , if  I may  so  speak ; and  I doubt  not  you 
theoretically  agree  with  me,  that  this  is  the  sort  of  Chris- 
tians that  is  wanted  every  where.  Now  you  will  not 
murmur,  if  I ask  you  to  make  your  church  apostolic. 
Stand  by  your  pastor,  through  good  report  and  through 
evil  report,  till  you  have  evidence  of  his  unfaithfulness. 
He  has  made  great  sacrifices  to  start  and  continue  your 
enterprise,  and  you  will  not  doubt  his  engagedness  in  the 
work  of  saving  souls.*  Oh  that  I could  believe  that  every 
one  of  you,  in  his  or  her  sphere,  was  as  faithful  as  he ! 
How  can  you  encourage  him?  You  can  be  prompt  in 
attendance  at  the  church  services,  especially  at  meetings 
where  it  is  expected  that  church  members  will  be  — the 
praying  circle,  the  monthly  concert.  The  professed 
Christian  that  does  not  love  the  monthly  concert,  has  lit- 
tle reason  to  think  he  is  born  of  God.  Do  you  not  think 
the  first  Christians  were  always  ready  to  pray  for  the 
pagans  and  the  Jews  — that  as  they  rejoiced  to  hear  of 

*Rev.  W.  C.  Scofield  was  their  first  pastor. 


82 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


the  conversion  of  Cornelius  and  his  Gentile  brethren, 
(Acts  x.  and  xi.,)  so  all  Christians,  in  all  times,  should 
rejoice  to  learn  what  God  is  doing  in  all  lands  for  the 
honor  of  his  Son,  our  Lord  ? 

The  only  reason  that  led  me  to  unite  with  others  in 
organizing  your  church  was,  that  it  was  to  be  a mission- 
ary enterprise . If  I had  thought  it  was  to  be  an  ordinary 
church,  spiritually  dead  a good  deal  of  the  time,  I should 
have  been  much  less  earnest.  But  I know  it  was  organ- 
ized for  the  glory  of  God.  I know  that  its  first  members 
desired  only  that  there  might  be  a working  church  in 
Danbury.  And  shall  it  not  he  such  ? Oh ! I beg  you, 
brethren  and  sisters,  make  its  interests  dear  as  the  apple 
of  your  eye,  for  these  interests  are  but  the  welfare  of 
immortal  souls,  and  the  well-being  of  the  universe  of  God. 

I can  not  tell  you  now  of  our  work  in  Mosul.  You  will 
find  its  history  in  the  Herald  and  the  Journal  of  Missions. 
I shall  always  delight  to  hear  from  any  of  you,  and 
especially  to  know  that  myself  and  mine  are  not  forgotten 
in  your  prayers. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

H.  Lobdell. 

In  connection  with  this  letter  to  the  church,  we  can  not 
withhold  the  following  extract  from  a letter  to  the  pastor. 
While  it  shows  his  deep  interest  in  the  people,  it  illus- 
trates also  his  idea  of  ministerial,  as  well  as  Christian 
character  and  life : 

“ Oh,  how  much  Danbury  needs  a genuine  revival  of 
God’s  work ! May  your  little  church  be  instrumental  in 
the  conversion  of  a multitude  of  souls.  May  all  its  mem- 
bers be  as  earnest  as  the  native  Christians  of  the  East — 
every  one  deeming  himself  and . herself  commissioned  to 
propagate  the  gospel.  That  church  will  not  fail  to  pros- 
per, in  which  all  the  members  toil  earnestly  for  God. 
How  much  depends  upon  the  hearty  cooperation  of  pastor 


OFFERS  IIIMSELF  TO  THE  BOARD. 


83 


and  people ! My  dear  brother,  be  thou  faithful  unto  death, 
and  entreat  the  members  of  our  church  to  be  up  and  doing 
while  the  day  lasts,  for  the  night  cometh.  Before  this 
reaches  you,  I have  confidence  that  a great  work  will  have 
taken  place  in  your  midst ; for  it  is  true,  that  God  helps 
those  who  will  help  themselves,  even  in  spiritual  matters. 
The  human  seems  necessary  to  the  divine  in  this  world. 
Let  us  not  attribute  any  efficiency  to  ourselves,  but  make 
our  bodies  fit  temples  for  the  indwelling  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Then  God  will  work  through  us,  and  his  kingdom  come. 
Let  not  a refreshing  from  on  high  be  followed  by  indiffer- 
ence. How  soon  we  shall  have  done  all  we  have  to  do ; 
and  when  our  end  comes,  may  we  be  conscious  of  having 
labored  earnestly  for  our  Heavenly  Father.” 

The  reader  will  be  glad  to  know,  and  yet  he  will  hardly 
need  be  told,  that  a church  established  with  such  motives, 
and  under  such  auspices,  though  encountering  much  oppo- 
sition, lives,  and  thrives,  and  enjoys  frequent  revivals  of 
religion.  It  was  a pleasant  coincidence  to  the  writer, 
when,  in  response  to  some  inquiries  touching  the  present 
condition  of  the  church,  he  received  answer  that  it  was 
then  (Jan.,  1858)  rejoicing  in  the  most  remarkable  work 
of  God’s  converting  and  sanctifying  grace  which  the  town 
had  ever  witnessed. 

As  his  labors  at  Danbury  drew  towards  a close,  having 
disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  Boarding  School  to  the 
gentleman  who  during  a portion  of  the  time  had  been  his 
partner,  he  opened  a correspondence  with  the  Secreta- 
ries of  the  American  Board,  with  a vi$\v  to  obtaining 
their  advice,  rather  than  with  any  expectation  of  offering 
himself  immediately  to  the  service  of  the  Board.  But 
being  informed  by  them  that  they  were  in  pressing  want 
of  three  missionary  physicians,  two  in  Persia,  and  one  in 
Full  Chau,  China,  being  advised  to  make  immediate  pro- 
posals, he  addressed  them  a letter  on  the  23d  of  July, 
1851,  offering  himself  to  their  acceptance,  declaring  a 


84 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


preference  for  Full  Chau,  though  submitting  himself  to 
their  disposal,  and  at  the  same  time  expressing  his  wish 
to  remain  in  the  country  as  long  as  might  consist  with  the 
interests  of  the  mission,  that  he  might  prosecute  further 
his  theological  studies,  and  also  gain  some  experience  as  a 
physician  and  surgeon,  in  the  practice  of  the  hospital. 
This  letter  was  followed  by  another  on  the  30th,  in  which 
he  enters  into  a more  detailed  account  of  his  personal  his- 
tory, religious  experience,  theological  views  and  desires  in 
regard  to  the  missionary  work.  “ These  facts,”  he  says, 
after  giving  an  outline  of  his  personal  history,  “ I have 
supposed  would  be  as  useful  to  you  in  determining  what 
to  do  with  me,  as  any  I could  state  ; and  perhaps  you  can 
judge  quite  as  well  of  my  religious  character  from  seeing 
that  my  eye  has  been  constantly  on  the  missionary  field 
for  six  years  past,  amid  all  my  wanderings,  as  from  any 
positive  statements  with  regard  to  my  religious  experi- 
ence. However,  I would  say  that  my  feelings  have  had 
alternations  — some  light,  some  shade  — until  I have 
learned  to  trust  God  entirely,  and  look  steadfastly  unto 
Jesus,  the  Author  and  Finisher  of  my  faith.  I have  for 
two  years  past  enjoyed  much  communion  with  God,  and 
have  realized  that  he  is  a Father  and  a Friend.  I know 
that  I love  the  Saviour  and  his  disciples,  and  that  I would 
do  every  thing  for  the  glory  of  God. 

“I  wish  to  go  on  a mission,  that  I may  save  souls.  I con- 
sider it  a self-denying  work,  and  yet  I love  to  think  of 
going.  I have  full  faith  in  the  power  and  determination 
of  God  to  bring  this  world  into  a willing  obedience  to 
himself,  and  am  prepared  to  labor  in  faith,  whether  any 
encouraging  results  are  witnessed  in  my  day  or  not.  I 
know  that  the  hearts  of  men  are  4 desperately  wicked,’ 
and  that  they  will  not  be  changed  but  by  the  grace  of 
God.  Yet  I pray  that,  as  he  works  by  means  in  the  king- 
dom of  grace  not  less  than  in  that  of  nature,  he  may  use 
me  for  the  promotion  of  his  glory  in  the  earth. 


ANDOVER. 


85 


“I  prefer  Full  Chau  to  any  other  field,  because  my  heart 
lias  long  been  in  China ; because  I think  the  climate 
adapted  to  my  own  and  my  wife’s  constitution ; because  I 
think  those  persons  at  the  mission,  as  well  as  two  friends 
who  hope  to  go  there,  are  such  as  I could  work  with 
pleasantly  and  usefully ; and,  finally,  because  the  field 
seems  to  me  of  so  great  importance  at  the  present  time.” 

This  preference  was  overruled  by  the  wishes  of  the  Sec- 
retaries, and  the  urgent  necessities  of  another  field.  lie 
also  yielded  his  desire  to  remain  in  this  country,  if  possi- 
ble, another  year.  In  a letter  dated  Theological  Seminary, 
Andover,  Aug.  21,  1851,  he  says  : “After  much  delibera- 
tion and  prayer,  I now  desire  to  say  to  the  Secretaries  of 
the  Board,  that  I feel  entirely  willing  to  leave  my  destina- 
tion to  them.  I will  go  cheerfully  to  any  station  whither 
you  may  desire  to  send  me,  and  at  any  time,  if  it  is  possi- 
ble for  me  to  get  my  outfit  ready.  I have  had  serious 
objections  to  leaving  the  country  this  autumn,  in  conse- 
quence of  deficient  preparation.  I yield  to  your  advice, 
and  would  say,  that  I am  quite  willing  to  go  to  Mosul.” 

The  new  field,  to  which  he  was  thus  unexpectedly 
assigned,  very  naturally  grew  in  his  esteem  and  affections, 
until,  before  he  left  the  country,  he  almost  j^referred  it  to 
his  long  cherished  and  much  beloved  China. 

The  brief  and  uncertain  interval  of  time  which  re- 
mained before  embarkation,  was  now  doubly  precious,  and 
he  was  intent  upon  making  the  most  of  it.  The  first  six 
or  eight  weeks  were  spent  at  Andover,  in  hearing  the 
lectures  of  the  different  professors,  and  in  studying, 
especially  Systematic  Theology.  Neither  journal  nor  let- 
ters remain  to  give  us  a view  of  his  interior  life  at  this 
time.  But  our  readers,  who  know  the  place  and  who 
already  know  something  of  the  man,  will  be  at  no  loss  to 
imagine  the  intense  mental  and  spiritual  activity  and  ex- 
citement which  must  have  been  awakened  in  such  a mind 
at  such  a place,  where  such  men  teach  and  are  taught ; true 
8 


86 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


steel  coming  in  collision  with  true  flint,  and  eliciting  per- 
petual flashes  of  intellectual  and  spiritual  light;  where,  in 
the  large  and  choice  library,  as  in  a sacred  shrine,  (to  bor- 
row the  language  of  Bacon,)  “ all  the  relics  of  the  ancient 
saints,  full  of  true  virtue,  and  that  without  delusion  or 
imposture,  are  preserved  and  reposed ; ” where  the  mental 
and  moral  atmosphere  is  as  pure  and  bracing  as  the 
natural ; and  where  the  very  ground  is  holy,  having  been 
trodden  by  the  feet  and  hallowed  by  the  prayers  of  holy 
men,  theologians,  scholars,  ministers  and  missionaries, 
many  of  whom  have  gone  to  their  reward,  and  others  are 
still  toiling  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  men  in 
every  quarter  of  the  globe.  The  professors  there,  although 
they  could  have  had  but  a short  acquaintance  with  him, 
remember  with  interest  “ his  inquisitive  spirit,  his  love  of 
truth,  and  his  intense  devotion  to  the  great  work  of  his 
life  .”  His  room-mate,  at  Andover,  (Rev.  J.  M.  Manning, 
of  Boston,)  says : “ He  was  with  me  only  a few  weeks, 
just  before  the  close  of  my  Junior  year.  Though  he 
roomed  with  me,  I saw  but  very  little  of  him,  for  he  was 
continually  on  the  move.  He  rushed  over  the  course  of 
study  there  during  those  few  weeks ; then  attended  the 
meeting  of  the  Board  at  Portland ; finished  the  Hospitals 
and  the  Theological  Seminary  at  New  York  in  a fortnight, 
as  you  will  see  by  the  enclosed  letter ; had  got  ready  for 
his  voyage  by  the  middle  of  November,  and  was  waiting 
for  orders  to  sail — meanwhile  acting  as  doctor,  preacher, 
and  missionary  agent.  How  he  managed  to  do  so  much 
and  do  it  so  well,  in  so  short  a time,  was  always  a marvel 
to  me.” 

The  letter  above-mentioned,  addressed  to  his  friend  and 
room-mate,  and  bearing  date  Ridgefield,  Nov.  17,  1851, 
will  fill  out  sufficiently  the  outline  of  his  subsequent 
labors  nearly  up  to  the  time  of  his  embarkation  : “ I have 
been  preaching  almost  every  Sabbath,  (and  sometimes 
during  the  week,)  since  I left  Portland,  and  was  in  New 


NEW  YORK. 


87 


York  a fortnight,  attending  the  City  and  Bellevue  Hos- 
pitals, and  seeing  what  practice  I could  at  the  Dispensaries 
and  the  Eye  Infirmary.  Since  I came  to  this  place,  I have 
had  more  cutting  and  prescribing  and  acting  as  accoucher 
to  do  than  ever  before  fell  to  my  lot — probably  in  conse- 
quence of  the  circulation  of  the  report  that  I am  4 fresh 
from  a New  York  hospital.’ 

“I  heard  all  the  professors  lecture  at  the  Union  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  and  am  well  satisfied  that  the  Junior 
and  Senior  years  must  be  good  there.  How  much  pleas- 
ure it  would  have  given  me  to  spend  another  year  in 
theological  study ; but  I have  work  to  do  elsewhere.  I 
trust  that  I can  make  myself  useful  with  my  knife  and 
gospel  milk,  at  least. 

“ I hope  you  will  come  out  and  see  us  at  Mosul ; we 
will  entertain  you  to  the  best  of  our  ability.  Come,  and 
bring  a host. 

“ I feel  quite  glad  to  go,  though  romance  has  already 
yielded  up  its  power,  and  the  stern  duties  of  a life  amid 
Arabs  and  Koords  are  pressing  around  me.  I am  working 
away  at  the  Arabic  some,  and  trying  to  stir  up  a mission- 
ary spirit  in  the  churches  around  here,  which,  I pray,  may 
spread,  and  produce  results  such  as  the  church  of  God 
ought  to  reach.  And  yet  a fire  must  be  fanned  and  fed, 
or  it  will  go  out.” 

At  the  same  time  that  he  was  attending  the  New  York 
hospitals  through  the  day,  he  spent  his  evenings  at  the 
book  stores  and  book  auctions,  picking  up  such  books  as 
would  be  of  service  to  him  in  the  field  of  his  missionary 
labors,  particularly  books  relating  to  the  geography,  his- 
tory, and  antiquities  of  Assyria.  He  had  also  to  provide 
himself  with  surgical  instruments  and  other  helps  to  medi- 
cal practice. 

It  was  at  this  time,  we  believe — if  not,  it  was  while 
scarcely  less  busy  in  studying  medicine  and  metaphysics 
in  New  York  two  years  before,  and  in  either  case  it 


88 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


equally  illustrates  his  character — that  he  was  met  by  a 
college  classmate  in  the  streets  of  New  York,  walking  at 
his  usual  quick  pace,  and  bearing  under  his  arm  a number 
of  new  books,  of  rather  unusual  appearance.  “'What 
strange  books  are  those?”  was  the  first  salutation.  “Span- 
ish books,”  was  the  reply.  “And  what,  in  the  name  of 
wonder,  have  you  to  do  with  Spanish  books,  with  all  the 
other  business  you  now  have  on  your  hands?”  “Oh, 
there  is  a native  Spaniard  boarding  where  I stop,  and  I 
thought  some  knowledge  of  the  language  might  sometime 
be  of  use  to  me  ; I did  not  think  it  right  to  lose  the 
opportunity”  Were  our  readers  to  infer  from  such  facts 
that  he  studied  nothing  thoroughly  and  in  earnest,  they 
would  much  mistake  the  man.  His  concentrativeness  was 
quite  as  marvelous  as  his  inquisitiveness ; and  if  he  looked 
into  more  things  at  once  than  most  men,  it  was  partly,  at 
least,  because  he  could  quicker  penetrate  them  to  the  cen- 
ter. At  the  same  time  it  must  be  confessed,  (for  it  is  no 
part  of  our  object  to  paint  a faultless  character,)  that  Dr. 
Lobdell  loved  change,  and  wore  himself  out  in  incessant 
efforts  to  accomplish  in  one  day  the  work  of  two  or  more. 
As  he  reviewed  his  college  and  professional  course  in  after 
years,  he  saw  his  error,  and,  in  a letter  from  Mosul  to  his 
brother,  then  fitting  for  college,  warns  him  not  to  commit 
the  same  mistake. 


Mosul,  Jan.  26th,  1854. 

Dear  Brother: — Yesterday,  if  I mistake  not,  I was 
twenty-seven  years  old.  I feel  as  if  I were  forty.  So  let 
me  warn  you  not  to  imitate  my  example,  and  wear  out 
before  you  get  hardened.  Do  not  hurry  through  college, 
the  seminary,  and  life.  “ There  is  a time  for  every  pur- 
pose under  heaven.”  It  is  a mistake  for  a young  man  to 
overstrain  himself  in  order  to  do  some  big  thing.  Gristle 
must  get  hardened  into  bone  before  a child  walks,  or  else 
he  will  have  the  rickets  or  crooked  legs. 


RETROSPECT. 


89 


I feel  the  effects  of  my  early  labors.  You  know  I fitted 
for  college,  and  taught  school  all  the  time  I was  fitting ; 
that  I did  in  three  years  in  college  what  ought  to  have 
taken  me  four,  besides  attending  a course  of  medical  lec- 
tures ; that  I got  my  diploma  to  practice  in  six  months 
after  graduating  at  Amherst,  and  put  through  the  Hebrew 
Grammar  meanwhile ; that  I skimmed  Dr.  Taylor’s  The- 
ology and  Prof.  Gibbs’  Hermeneutics  at  the  same  time ; 
got  all  the  love  of  Auburn  in  three  months ; taught  the 
“Danbury  Institute”  a year  and  a quarter,  and  wrote  over 
that  French  octavo  at  the  same  time,  besides  speechifying 
and  writing  for  the  Fountain  and  the  magazines  of  New 
York  and  Philadelphia;  that  I digested  Prof.  Park’s  Sys- 
tem of  Divinity  and  Prof.  Phelps’  Homiletics  in  a single 
summer;  that  I attended  the  New  York  Hospital  and  Eye 
Infirmary,  and  waited  on  patients,  and  meanwhile  got 
ordained  to  preach  the  gospel  the  month  before  sailing; 
that  I tried  to  learn  Arabic,  talk  in  it  of  Christ,  and  see  a 
hundred  patients  a day  last  winter;  and  that  consequently 
I ruined  my  constitution,  was  obliged  to  flee  to  Persia  for 
health,  and  am  now  half  laid  aside,  a weak  and  a “ used-up 
man.” 

But  do  not  be  lazy,  or  a poor  scholar ; only  take  time 
enough,  and  study  according  to  your  strength.  Perhaps 
we  are  constituted  differently,  and  I need  not  warn  you 
of  the  danger  of  hard  work.  • You  seem  to  have  cut  me 
entirely.  Is  this  the  first  good  effect  of  deciding  not  to 
become  a missionary  ? If  you  can  not  write  me  ten  lines 
a month,  or  a fortnight,  you  must  be  hard  pressed.  I beg 
you  to  open  the  valves. 

Yours,  semi-angrily, 


8* 


/ 


CHAPTER  VI. 


Voyage  to  Smyrna  and  Beyroot  — Licensure  — Ordination  — Embarkation  — 
Life  at  Sea  — Humor  — Sympathy  — Hurricane  — Sailors  — Bible  — Plans  for 
its  Elucidation  — Reading  — Gibraltar  — Malta  — Grecian  Archipelago  — 
Smyrna — View  from  the  Harbor  — Scene  in  the  Streets  — The  American 
Missionaries  and  their  Work  — Antiquities — Austrian  Steamship  Stamboul  — 
Same  Route  as  Paul’s  to  Phenicia  — Patmos  and  the  Seven  Churches  of  Asia 

— Beyroot  — Chapel  and  Press  of  American  Mission  — The  Syrian  Field 

— Laborers  — Results  — Prospects. 


Dr.  Lobdell  was  licensed  to  preacli  the  gospel  at  Au- 
burndale,  Mass.,  Aug.  13th,  1851,  by  the  Mendon  Associa- 
tion of  Congregational  Ministers.  A few  years  later,  the 
same  house  which  witnessed  this  missionary  licensure, 
witnessed  also  a missionary  wedding.  A daughter  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Harding  was  married  to  Mr.  Williams,  went  out 
with  him  to  Mosul,  died  almost  immediately  after  her 
arrival;  and  the  bodies  of  the  two  young  missionaries, 
who  were  thus  set  apart  to  the  work  of  missions  beneath 
the  same  roof  in  the  suburbs  of  Boston,  now  sleep  in  the 
same  sacred  enclosure,  near  the  banks  of  the  Tigris, 

awaiting  the  morning  of  the  resurrection. 

© © 

It  was  Dr.  Lobdell’s  expectation  to  be  ordained  to  the 
missionary  work  at  the  Tabernacle  in  New  York  City  on 
Sunday  evening,  Oct.  5th,  with  Dr.  L.  II.  Gulick,  of  the 
Micronesian  Mission,  and  to  have  sailed  in  the  ship  Leland 
on  the  17th  of  the  same  month  Avith  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morgan, 
and  Miss  Harris.  He  Avas  examined  and  approved  on 
Saturday ; but  Avhen  the  Sabbath  came,  he  was  so  sick  as 
to  be  unable  to  receive  ordination.  He  Avas  ordained  the 
next  Sunday  evening  (Oct.  12,)  at  the  Pilgrim  Church  in 
Brooklyn  ; Rev.  Dr.  Bethune  preaching  the  Sermon,  Rev. 
Dr.  Storrs  giving  the  Charge,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Atkinson  the 
Right  Hand  of  FelloAVship.  “It  Avas  a deeply  solemn 
scene ; ” (such  is  his  brief  note  of  the  event  in  his  diary, 


EMBARKATION. 


91 


which  at  this  period  is  little  more  than  a scries  of  events 
and  dates):  “God  grant  I maybe  faithful  to  my  trust ! 
I am  to  preach  the  gospel ; thank  God  for  this  privilege  — 
especially  the  privilege  of  preaching  to  those  c who  are 
ready  to  die’  in  distant  Nineveh.”  Being  still  too  unwell 
to  sail  in  the  Leland,  his  voyage  was  deferred  forty  days. 
It  was  only  a detention  at  the  beginning,  however ; in  the 
end,  as  we  shall  see,  he  arrived  at  Malta  just  as  soon  as  he 
would  have  done  had  he  sailed  according  to  the  original 
plan,  and  was  thankful  for  the  sickness,  which  gave  him  a 
longer  time  with  his  friends,  instead  of  a longer  voyage 
across  the  ocean. 

On  the  21st  of  November  he  writes  his  last  letter  from 
home  to  his  most  intimate  friend,  concluding  with  these 
words : “ Let  us  live,  and,  like  Baxter,  make  each  effort, 
as  though  it  were  to  be  our  last.  Our  work  will  soon  be 
over,  and  if  I melt  down  under  the  scorching  sun  of  Old 
Nineveh,  I pray  that  God  will  accept  the  cheerful  sacrifice.” 

On  the  27th,  (the  annual  Thanksgiving),  we  find  him  at 
Boston,  thankful  most  of  all  that  God  has  given  him  the 
opportunity,  and  so  favorable  an  opportunity,  to  go  to  a 
foreign  land.  On  the  29th,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Lobdell,  with 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eddy,  of  the  Syrian  Mission,  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sutphen,  of  the  Armenian,  embarked  on  the  Sultana, 
bound  for  Smyrna.  Religious  services  were  conducted 
on  board  by  Rev.  Mr.  Laurie,  returned  missionary  from 
Mosul.  There  was  one  friend  with  whom  the  trial  of 
parting  was  particularly  severe.  His  father  had  never 
sympathized  with  the  high  purpose  of  his  life  — had  never 
given  his  free  and  full  consent  to  his  going  on  a mission. 
Yet  with  all  a father’s  love,  he  had  followed  the  son,  till 
now  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  part  and  meet  no  more, 
till  they  should  meet  in  another  world.  The  scene  can 
be  better  imagined  than  described.  Unable  to  say  what 
he  would,  the  son  put  into  the  father’s  hand  a parting 
note.  Its  purport  need  not  be  told.  The  last  farewell 


92 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


was  given  with  comparative  ease  to  other  friends.  And 
soon  the  bark  was  under  weigh,  and  soon  it  was  bounding 
before  a favorable  gale  towards  its  destination. 

Life  at  sea  is  too  monotonous  — too  much  the  same  on 
all  ships  and  in  all  seas  to  require  description.  Yet  life 
at  sea  tries  the  temper,  reveals  the  character,  shows  the 
man,  the  scholar  and  the  Christian,  quite  as  much,  per- 
haps, as  life  on  land.  Dr.  Lobdell  wrote  a minute  account 
of  every  day’s  occurrences  in  his  diary,  in  letters  to  friends, 
and  in  a series  of  letters,  which  were  printed  in  the  Dan- 
bury Times ; and  in  them  all,  while  he  manifests  the  same 
restless  activity,  the  same  observing  eye  and  inquisitive 
spirit,  the  same  insatiable  love  of  books,  and  the  same 
indefatigable  zeal  in  doing  good,  which  we  have  always 
remarked  in  him  ; he  develops,  also,  a quiet  vein  of  humor, 
and  a ready,  genial  sympathy  with  men  and  things  around 
him,  which  we  have  not  yet  had  much  opportunity  to  see. 
W e quote  at  random  from  private  and  public  letters,  more 
to  reflect  the  man  than  to  describe  the  voyage  : “ It  was 
not  two  hours  after  passing  Fort  Independence  before 
our  party  began  to  look  unutterable  things.  Our  bark 
bounded  a little  too  gaily  for  landsmen.  The  bell  to  din- 
ner was  answered  by  a large  minority  — two!  I had 
dreamed  of  all  sorts  of  horrible  things  in  my  early  days, 
but  never  of  sea-sickness ; and  hence  it  was  to  me  at  least 
‘ a new  thing  under  the  sun.’  It  is  an  indefinable  but  ter- 
rible affair.  After  three  days  I crawled  out  of  my  berth, 
and  tried  in  vain  to  take  some  nourishment.  At  length, 
however,  the  monster  disappeared,  and  left  me  an  appe- 
tite more  keen  and  unsatisfiable,  if  I may  coin  a word,  than 
had  ever  before  fallen  to  my  lot.  So  you  may  imagine 
that  by  this  time  (eighteen  days  out)  I must  have  ex- 
panded considerably. 

“ The  fifth  day  out,  we  had  what  our  good  Capt.  Wat- 
son called  a genuine  hurricane.  He  has  made  nineteen 
voyages  to  Smyrna,  and  therefore  ought  to  know.  I was 


VOYAGE. 


93 


able  to  get  on  deck  after  the  storm  had  passed,  and  form 
some  notion  of  waves  at  sea.  It  is  said,  that  they  never 
exceed  twenty-five  feet  in  height;  but  I could  scarcely 
believe  these  were  not  forty.  Neptune  seemed  to  have 
come  forth  in  his  glory.  I never  before  got  so  vivid  a con- 
ception of  the  Infinite.  It  was  a scene  for  the  poet ; but 
as  twilight  deepened,  and  the  phosphorescence  appeared 
around  the  vessel,  the  scene  was  grander  still,  and  I almost 
regretted  that  I had  not  myself ‘ the  vision  and  the  faculty 
divine.’  You  are  aware,  no  doubt,  that  naturalists  attrib- 
ute this  phosphorescence  to  a species  of  crustaceous  ani- 
malcula,  gifted  with  a power  similar  to  that  of  our  fire-fly, 
or  the  European  glow-worm.  These  creatures  must  fill 
the  ocean.  Surely  there  is  not  a drop  too  much  in  all 
this  swelling  flood,  for  each  drop  furnishes  an  abode  for 
organized  beings  to  revel  and  sport  in. 

“I  have  learned  to  compassionate  the  sailor.  Every 
alternate  four  hours,  he  is  on  duty,  night  and  day.  I won- 
der that  he  has  so  large  a heart.  But  in  a good  ship  and 
under  a good  captain,  sailors  always  appear  to  be  the  hap- 
piest of  the  happy.  I admire  the  open  countenance  be- 
neath the  slouched  tarpaulin.  They  are  as  a class  generous 
and  frank ; and  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  among  many  on 
land,  the  word  sailor  is  only  another  name  for  outcast. 
If  there  is  any  object  of  Christian  benevolence  worthy 
of  the  Church,  it  is  to  be  found  in  giving  the  pure  gospel 
to  these  wanderers,  who  visit,  for  good  or  evil,  every 
shore.  Let  every  ship  become  a Bethel,  and  Christianity 
has  triumphed. 

“We  all  jog  along  finely  together,  have  established  an 
evening  prayer  meeting,  and  enjoy  a good  long  ‘sing’  on 
deck  in  the  moonlight  exceedingly.  W e have  not  been 
able  to  have  preaching  on  board  yet  — shall  probably 
begin  next  Sabbath.  We  can  distribute  a few  tracts  and 
exert  a religious  influence,  at  least,  by  example  — that 
strongest  mode  of  teaching.  I take  more  pleasure  in  read- 


94 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


ing  the  Bible  than  ever  before.  There  is  a freshness  in 
old  Genesis  even,  that  I have  not  before  observed.  I 
intend  to  investigate,  as  leisure  allows,  the  sources  of  As- 
syrian history,  hoping,  after  a series  of  years,  if  Provi- 
dence permits,  to  elucidate  somewhat  the  difficulties  of 
Mesopotamian  chronology.  I think  there  is  a good  field 
here  for  exploration.  It  is  possible  I may  meet  Dr.  Rob- 
inson at  Mosul,  and  profit  by  his  suggestions. 

“ I read  with  j^erfect  avidity  now  — am  devouring  all 
the  Travels  I can  come  across:  e.  g.,  Dix’s  Residence  in 
Madeira,  Spain,  and  Florence;  Southgate’s  Tour  in  the 
East ; Stephens’  Travels  in  Greece,  &c. ; Burgess’  Greece 
and  Levant,  and  Fletcher’s  Notes  on  Nineveh,  besides 
miscellaneous  works  ‘too  numerous  to  mention.’  So  you 
see  I am  not  alone. 

“The  incidents  of  shipboard  thus  far  (Dec.  17)  have 
been  4 like  angels’  visits/  True,  we  have  seen  a young 
whale  spouting  defiance  to  the  heavens,  passed  under  the 
stern  of  a French  vessel,  seen  four  ships  besides,  gazed 
for  hours  upon  a few  sea-gulls  and  Mother  Carey’s  chick- 
ens ; read,  mused  and  slept ; watched  a herd  of  porpoises 
bounding  over  the  hills,  and  had  a snuff  of  balmy  breeze 
from  the  sunny  south. 

“Dec.  22d.  Yesterday  Cape  St.  Yincent  came  in  sight, 
and  forty  ships  were  seen  struggling  with  us  to  get  into 
the  straits  of  Gibraltar.  . . . This  morning  we  woke  be- 
tween Capes  Spartel  and  Trafalgar.  Sable  Africa  rose 
up 

Cheerless  and  crownless  in  her  voiceless  woe/ 

Lord  Nelson  seemed  living  again,  as  an  English  frigate 
fired  her  guns  near  the  old  scene  of  conflict.  Peace  to 
thy  ashes,  brave  man ! Our  entrance  into  the  Straits  was 
calm  as  the  blue  mountains  that  hemmed  us  in.  Tangier 
recalled  the  troubles  of  1812 ; how  dark  the  land  those 
mountains  hide ! At  three  P.  M.,  the  famous  Rock  was  des- 


GIBRALTAR MALTA. 


95 


cried  running  out  towards  the  Sierra  opposite,  both 
well  worthy  of  the  name,  ‘Pillars  of  Hercules.’  Tarifa, 
the  most  southern  point  of  the  continent,  is  about  fifteen 
miles  west  of  the  Rock ; and  from  it  that  huge  tongue  of 
adamant  can  easily  be  seen.  The  straits  are  here  about 
nine  miles  in  width.  The  flags  of  five  nations  are  floating 
on  the  breeze.  I shall  give  you  some  account  of  the  cur- 
rents here,  and  a view  of  the  citadel  of  British  power  in 
the  Mediterranean  in  my  next,  which,  if  the  mail  carries 
safely,  you  will  receive  from  Malta.” 

But  hold,  we  are  getting  ourselves  into  business ; if 
we  must  investigate  the  currents  of  the  Mediterranean, 
study  the  natural,  civil  and  military  history  of  Gib- 
raltar, and  digest  all  the  facts  that  our  young  mis- 
sionary friend  will  observe  with  his  all-seeing  eyes  during 
a two  days’  stay  at  that  Ehrenbreitstein  of  Southern  Eu- 
rope, together  with  all  that  he  has  collected  with  his  om- 
nivorous mind  from  the  books  we  saw  him  devouring  with 
such  insatiate  appetite  on  the  voyage.  Of  course,  he  ful- 
filled his  promise,  and  wrote  a very  instructive  and  inter- 
esting letter ; but  we  will  leave  it  to  the  readers  of  the 
Danbury  Times,  and  pass  on  with  the  writer  to  Malta. 

“Our  passage  through  the  Mediterranean  was  rather 
unpleasant ; but  we  could  not  complain  when  we  arrived 
at  Malta,  about  five  weeks  from  Boston,  and  found  there 
a ship,  in  which  sickness  prevented  my  leaving  America, 
that  started  over  forty  days  previous  to  ours.  Three  mis- 
sionary friends  were  on  board  of  her,  and  hailed  us  with 
great  pleasure,  as  we  came  to  our  moorings.  We  had 
much  delightful  intercourse  during  our  three  days’  stay 
at  Malta.” 

They  visited  Civita  Vecchia,  the  former  capital  of  the 
island,  St.  Paul’s  Cave,  where  St.  Paul,  Luke  and  Tro- 
phimus dwelt  three  months  after  their  shipwreck;  the 
Cathedral  built  on  the  site  of  the  old  palace  of  the  Roman 
Governor,  Publius;  and  the  Catacombs,  where,  in  a vast 


96 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


city  of  the  dead,  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock,  44  patriarchs 
and  babes  sleep  alike  unknown,”  and  the  very  nation  to 
which  they  belonged  is  a question  which  baffles  the  skill 
of  the  antiquarian.  The  terraced  hillsides  and  the  suc- 
cessive crops  of  divers  kinds,  which  persevering  industry 
extracts  out  of  the  flinty  rock,  excited  their  wonder.  But 
Dr.  Lobdell  was  chiefly  interested  in  the  character,  condi- 
dition,  and  prospects  of  the  poor  people : 44  On  our  way, 
beggar  boys  and  girls  crowded  around  us,  and  presented 
a sorrowful  contrast  to  the  pampered  inmates  of  the 
palace  we  had  just  seen.  How  the  conviction  comes 
home  on  the  soul,  that  in  these  lands,  the  rich  are  draw- 
ing out  the  life-blood  of  the  poor ! Hasten  the  progress 
of  that  gospel,  which  requires  each  man  to  be  an  actor, 
and  allows  no  idler  to  see  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Man 
ought  to  be  valued  by  the  good  he  does,  or  wishes  to  man- 
kind. But  how  different  the  criterion  of  the  world ! 

“Oh  for  a purification!  But  4 who  can  bring  a clean 
thing  out  of  an  unclean?5  From  what  I saw  in  Malta,  I 
have  no  hesitation  in  saying,  that  the  Roman  Church  has 
not  been  calumniated  by  Protestants ; I see  not  how  it 
could  be.  There  is  a full-robed  and  self-confident  priest 
for  every  eighty  persons  in  Malta.  It  is  no  wonder  the 
majority  of  the  people  are  very  poor.  I respect  any  man’s 
religion  if  he  is  sincere ; and  I am  not  the  one  to  speak 
evil  of  the  deluded  victims  of  the  papacy ; but  I despise  a 
hypocrite  and  an  impostor  any  where,  and  no  where  so 
much  as  when  an  imposition  is  practised  under  the  guise 
of  sanctity.” 

He  pays  a splendid  tribute  to  the  true  nobility  of  the 
Knights  of  Malta,  erst  the  Knights  of  St.  John’s  of  Rhodes; 
and  as  he  “ gazed  back  on  this  rocky  isle,  4 Europe’s  best 
bulwark  ’gainst  the  Ottomite,’  he  felt  that  he  was  going 
towards  an  old  worn-out  world.” 

As  he  traverses  the  islands  of  the  Archipelago,  44  thick 
as  the  rocky  hills  in  Connecticut,”  passing  44  not  far  from 
Lemnos,  where  Yulcan  dropped,”  “sailing  between  Negro- 


SCIO. 


97 


pout  and  Andros,”  and  at  length  coming  “ near  Scio,  that 
fair  island  which  the  Turks  laid  waste,”  classical  history 
and  mythology  revive  for  a season  ; but  those  old  recol- 
lections soon  give  place  to  sympathy  for  the  more  recent 
sufferings  of  the  present  Greeks,  and  to  indignation  against 
their  bigoted  and  bloody  persecutors.  “Is  it  possible, 
thought  I,  that  Sciote  boys  and  girls  were  ever  sold  pub- 
licly in  Smyrna  and  Constantinople  at  a dollar  a head ! 
History  answered,  yes ! Oh,  if  Heaven  ever  visits  judg- 
ment on  a nation  for  its  crimes  — and  who  can  doubt  it 
amid  the  wreck  of  empires  ? — the  time  is  not  far  distant 
when  the  atrocities  enacted  here  will  bring  dowfi  ven- 
geance on  the  heads  of  the  bloody  Turks.  Already  I read 
the  doom  of  this  empire  — it  has  no  inherent  power  to 
rise.  It  shall  soon  be  what  Assyria  and  Babylon  have  for 
ages  been.  Let  the  wave  of  civilization  and  liberty  roll 
back  from  the  West : it  shall  sweep  away  the  last  vestige 
of  Turkish  bigotry  and  power.  No  Eastern  empire  has 
ever  had  a resurrection.  The  days  of  Turkey  and  Mo- 
hammedanism are  fast  numbering.  W ork  the  press,  gen- 
tlemen, and  do  your  share  towards  lifting  men  from 
barbarism.  There  is  no  Christianity  without  education, 
and  no  right  education  without  Christianity.” 

Soon  after  passing  Scio,  they  enter  the  beautiful  bay  of 
Smyrna.  A rapid  glance  at  the  ruined  castle  on  Mt. 
Pagus  above  and  behind  the  city ; at  the  hill-sides,  covered 
with  burying  grounds  and  planted  with  cypresses ; at  the 
terraced  roofs  of  the  houses,  forming  one  uniform,  plane 
surface,  broken  here  and  there  by  the  minarets  of  the 
mosks,  and  diversified  by  the  flags  of  the  consuls ; at  the 
forest  of  masts  in  the  harbor ; the  vessels  of  war  and  the 
flags  of  all  nations,  — a glance  at  these,  and  the  Sultana  is 
at  anchor,  and  they  bid  a glad  and  yet  sad  farewell  to  the 
noble  bark  that  has  so  long  been  their  home  on  the  moun- 
tain wave  — the  American  bark,  in  leaving  which,  they 
sever  the  last  tie  that  bound  them  to  their  country.  As 
9 


98 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


they  pass  through  the  thronged  streets  of  a city  of  100,000 
inhabitants,  and  “ meet  strings  of  camels,  donkeys  bear- 
ing large  baskets  of  coal  or  slaughtered  sheep,  and  men 
carrying  enormous  loads  of  lumber  or  huge  bales  of  cotton 
on  their  backs,”  while  not  a wheeled  carriage  is  anywhere 
to  be  seen,  they  feel  for  the  first  time  that  they  are  in  the 
Orient.  They  are  struck  with  the  strange  diversity  of 
languages,  costumes,  manners ; there  is  but  one  common 
bond — the  love  of  money;  and  smoking  is  apparently 
the  only  common  habit.  They  have  now  gone  through 
the  most  busy  part  of  the  city  on  the  plain,  and  come  uj) 
on  the  slope  of  the  hill  where  the  American  missionaries 
have  their  residence ; and  soon  all  else  is  forgotten  in 
the  warm  welcome  and  embrace  of  Christian  brethren. 
Messrs.  Riggs,  Johnston  and  Benjamin  were  then  at  that 
station.  None  of  them  is  now  there  — such  are  the 
changes  which  a few  years  work  in  our  missions.  The 
first  is  in  this  country  for  his  health  ; the  second  has  been 
dismissed  from  his  connection  with  the  Board ; and  the 
third  is  not,  for  God  took  him.  “ I stopped,”  writes  Dr. 
Lobdell  in  a private  letter,  “ with  Mr.  Riggs,  a ripe  scholar, 
a graduate  of  Amherst/  and  a noble  man.  He  would 
have  ranked  with  Robinson  and  Edwards  if  he  had  staid 
at  home.  But  he  is  better  engaged  in  Smyrna.  His 
translation  of  the  Bible  into  Armenian,  and  other  works, 
will  make  him  one  of  earth’s  greatest  benefactors.  Oh, 
my  dear  J.,  do  not  encourage  any  man  to  stay  at  home, 
because  his  talents  are  too  good  to  be  wasted  on  ‘ the 
desert  air  ’ of  the  East.  F ull-grown  men  are  wanted  to 
demolish  the  piles  which  superstition  has  raised  in  these 
dark  lands.  Genius  of  the  first  order  may  here  find  full 
scope.” 

He  spent  two  Sabbaths  in  Smyrna,  and  “found  the 
groceries  open,  guns  fired,  and  drums  sounded  as  if  a 
Fourth  of  July  had  arrived;”  but  was  greatly  pleased 
to  see  the  deep  interest  manifested  by  the  native  hearers 


SMYRNA. 


09 


in  the  services  of  his  missionary  brethren.  These  were 
then  held  in  a part  of  one  of  the  missionary’s  houses.  A 
small  but  neat  chapel  ncno  echoes  with  the  voice  of  prayer, 
and  invites  the  passing  stranger  to  turn  in  and  see  that 
God  is  there  in  very  deed.  Large  cities,  even  in  Chris- 
tian lands,  are  not  easily  leavened  with  the  truth  and  the 
spirit  of  the  gospel.  The  fruits  are  more  abundant,  cer- 
tainly more  manifest,  in  the  smaller  towns  and  villages. 
It  will  be  many  years,  perhaps  centuries,  before  this  golden 
candlestick  of  one  of  “the  Seven  Churches  of  Asia” 
will  shine  with  all,  and  more  than  all,  its  primeval  light, 
before  this  gem  of  the  Ionian  Cities  will  glitter  in  the  di- 
adem of  the  Redeemer.  But  the  light  has  been  re-kindled  ; 
and  we  trust  in  God,  it  will  never  go  out.  “I  rejoice  to 
be  on  missionary  ground,”  says  Dr.  Lobdell,  after  witness- 
ing the  good  beginning  which  had  then  been  made,  “ and 
I go  forward  not  doubting  that,  though  only  after  witness- 
ing many  reverses,  the  cross  of  Christ  shall  triumph.” 

The  intervening  week,  he  spent  in  visits  to  the  bazaars, 
in  excursions  to  interesting  localities,  in  acquainting  him- 
self with  the  operations  of  the  missionaries,  and  in  study- 
ing the  manners  and  character  of  the  people  of  the  East. 
In  this  last  study,  he  received  thus  early  some  rough  les- 
sons. He  was  stoned  by  Turkish  boys,  and  robbed  of 
some  trifling  articles  by  the  Greeks  of  Bournabat. 

Nor  could  he  fail  to  be  interested  in  those  classical  and 
sacred  associations,  so  many  of  which  cluster  about  Smyr- 
na. “ Antiquities,”  he  says,  “ are  curiosities  I must  omit. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  I passed  near  the  birth-place  of  Homer,* 
and  stood  by  the  Stadium,  where  the  disciple  of  John  — 
the  beloved  Polycarp  — was  burned  by  the  authority  of  the 
Romans.  You  see,  I believe  in  the  real  existence  of  Ho- 
mer, and  think  Smyrna  has  the  most  claim  to  the  honor 
of  his  nativity.  Polycarp  died,  but  his  religion  lives, 

* The  banks  of  the  river  Meles,  from  which  Homer  is  said  to  have  derived 
the  epithet  of  Melesigenes,  or  Meles-born. 


100 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


while  the  tyrant,  who  burnt  him,  has  fulfilled  the  predic- 
tion, ‘The  memory  of  the  wicked  shall  rot.’  ” 

On  the  26th  of  January,  1852,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Lobdell 
took  leave  of  their  missionary  friends  — not  only  of  those 
with  whom  they  had  formed  so  pleasant  an  acquaintance 
in  Smyrna,  but  also  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sutphen,  who  had 
been  their  companions  on  the  voyage  across  the  ocean  — 
and  embarked  on  the  Austrian  Steamer  Stamboul  for 
Beyroot. 

Their  route  was  the  very  same  as  that  pursued  by  Paul 
and  his  traveling  companions  and  recorded  in  the  twen- 
tieth and  twenty-first  chapters  of  the  Acts  — by  way  of 
“ Chios,”  “ Samos,”  “ Cos,”  “ Rhodes,”  and  “ Cyprus,”  to 
“Phenicia.”  These  names  all  occur  in  Luke’s  journal  of 
Paul’s  voyage,  as  they  do  in  Dr.  Lobdell’s  journal  of  his 
own.  And  they  had  the  same  classical  associations  in  the 
mind  of  the  ancient  and  the  modern  missionary.  For 
Paul  was  familiar  with  the  Greek  classics,  and  the  names 
of  Homer,  Pythagoras,  and  Hippocrates  must  have  occurred 
to  him  also,  as  he  sailed  past  the  islands  with  which  they 
are  indissolubly  associated ; he  also  mused  on  the  instabil- 
ity of  man’s  proudest  works,  as  he  entered  the  harbor  once 
bestrode  by  the  Colossus  of  Rhodes ; and  he  also  pitied 
the  weakness  and  depravity  of  men,  as  he  rode  over  the 
waves,  from  which  the  goddess  Venus  was  fabled  to  have 
sprung,  and  brushed  the  shores,  that  glittered  with  temples 
sacred  to  her  corrupt,  and  idolatrous  worship.  There  was, 
however,  this  striking  difference.  The  ancient  navigator 
crept  more  cautiously  along  the*  shore,  and  peradventure 
consumed  as  many  weeks  as  the  modern  steamship  takes 
days  for  the  accomplishment  of  the  voyage  ; and  while  the 
ancient  missionary  mourned  over  pagan  idolatry,  the  mod- 
ern was  grieved  at  Mohammedan  bigotry  and  Christian 
superstition. 

Nor  was  it  Paul  only,  whose  missionary  visits  had  given 
to  these  islands  and  the  cities  on  the  adjacent  continent, 


PATMOS BEYROOT. 


101 


a charm  “ above  all  Greek,  above  all  Roman  fame.”  There, 
on  their  right,  as  our  travelers  steamed  from  Samos  to  Cos, 
“the  isle  that  is  called  Patmos,”  suggested  the  thought, 
“ how  often  a single  name  stands  as  the  only  representa- 
tive or  glory  of  a generation,  while  the  very  ground  on 
which  he  trod  becomes  immortalized  ; for  what  were  Pat- 
mos without  the  sainted  John  ? ” And  there,  on  their 
left,  are  the  shores  of  Asia  Minor  and  those  ruins  which 
mark  the  sites  of  the  Seven  Churches  of  Asia;  too  true 
an  emblem  of  the  declension  which  was  already  visible  to 
the  eye  of  the  Apocalyptic  Seer,  and  of  the  utter  ruin 
which  has  since  overwhelmed  the  corrupt  Christianity  of 
those  lands.  But  sad  as  are  the  sights  which  every  where 
meet  the  eye  of  the  missionary  on  this  route,  he  rejoices 
that  he  carries  with  him  “ the  remedy  ” for  ruined  cities 
as  well  as  ruined  churches  — “ for  poor  harbors  and  poor 
boats  as  well  as  poor  deluded  souls,”  — the  pure  gospel 
of  Christ.  “No  progressive  principle  inherent  in  human- 
ity, no  socialistic  paraphernalia  will  revolutionize  them. 
They  need  a higher  influence,  — divine  truth  and  the 
divine  Spirit.” 

On  Saturday  morning,  Jan.  31st,  the  snowy  summits  of 
Lebanon  glittering  in  the  rising  sun  indicate  that  the 
voyage  is  drawing  to  a close ; soon  Beyroot  is  seen  nes- 
tling near  the  base  of  that  long  and  vast  mountain  range ; 
and  ere  long,  they  round  the  headland  on  which  the 
city  is  built,  and  come  to  anchor  in  the  harbor.  Beyroot, 
the  sacred  city  of  Baal  Beerith  in  the  time  of  the  Pheni- 
cians,  and  the  seat  of  a far-famed  school  of  law  under  the 
empire  of  the  Romans,  and  hence  styled  “ the  mother  and 
nurse  of  the  laws  ” by  the  Emperor  Justinian,  has  be- 
come in  modern  times  the  centre  of  European  commerce 
and  European  civilization  in  Syria,  and,  what  is  of  far 
greater  interest  to  the  Christian,  as  the  central  station  of 
the  Syrian  Mission,  it  has  become  the  radiating  point  of 
Protestant  Christianity  to  the  Arabic-speaking  races  of 
9* 


102 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


the  Turkish  Empire.  A little  outside  of  the  crumbling 
wall,  about  half  way  up  the  slope  on  which  the  new  city 
is  building,  in  the  midst  of  the  population  which  is  fast 
overflowing  its  ancient  bounds,  stands  a plain  and  unpre- 
tending two-story  brick  building,  which  is  the  focal  point 
of  this  spiritual  illumination.  The  basement  is  the  chapel 
of  the  American  mission  ; in  the  upper  story  is  the  press, 
where  are  printing  Arabic  versions  of  tracts,  religious 
books,  and  the  sacred  Scriptures.  Near  by  is  the  ceme- 
tery, where,  beneath  tall  cypresses,  sleep  the  remains  of 
Pliny  Fisk,  Eli  Smith,  and  not  a few  missionary  wives  and 
children  — precious  seed,  whose  fruit  is  yet  to  wave  like 
the  cedars  of  Lebanon.  And  yonder,  in  full  sight,  on  the 
sides  of  Lebanon,  hang  the  mountain  villages,  where  the 
schools  and  churches,  established  by  the  American  mis- 
sionaries, shine  as  lights  in  that  dark  Eastern  world.  And 
there,  at  the  foot  of  these  sacred  mountain  ranges,  at  the 
distances  severally  of  one,  two,  and  three  days’  journey, 
lie,  on  this  side,  Sidon  and  Tyre,  and,  on  the  opposite  side, 
Damascus,  — those  ancient  cities  which  have,  in  our  day, 
once  more  begun  to  have  a place  in  history,  — the  history 
of  Christian  missions. 

At  this  interesting  station  Dr.  Lobdell  remained  three 
weeks,  suffering  most  of  the  time  from  sickness,  either  in 
his  own  person  or  in  his  family,  yet  plunging  into  the 
Arabic,  dipping  into  the  history  and  antiquities  of  the 
city  and  the  surrounding  country,  making  excursions  along 
the  seashore  and  to  the  mountains,  and  holding  sweet 
communion  with  one  of  the  most  delightful  circles  of 
Christian  brethren  and  sisters  that  can  be  found  in  this 
imperfect  world.  Of  the  antiquities,  among  which  are 
ruined  bridges,  aqueducts  and  temples  of  Baal,  by  far  the 
most  striking  are  the  rock-hewn  inscriptions  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Nahr  el  Kelb,  (Dog  River,)  in  which  the 
successive  conquerors  of  the  country,  — the  Assyrians,  the 
Egyptians,  the  Romans,  and  the  Turks,  — have  recorded 


MISSIONARY  WORK. 


103 


their  names  in  monuments  characteristic,  and  enduring  as 
the  everlasting  mountains.  There  I)r.  Lobdell’s  eyes  first 
rested  on  those  cuneiform  characters  with  which  he  was 
afterwards  to  become  so  familiar. 

He  thus  records  his  impressions  of  the  missionary  work 
in  Syria  : — “ Our  long  delay  at  Beyroot  has  given  me  an 
opportunity  to  inspect  the  internal  workings  of  the  mis- 
sion, and  conversations  with  Dr.  Yandyck  and  Mr.  Thomp- 
son of  Sidon  and  Ilasbeiya,  Mr.  Calhoun  of  Abeih,  and 
Mr.  Ford  of  Aleppo,  as  well  as  with  the  missionaries  at 
this  station,  have  furnished  my  heart  much  occasion  to 
rejoice  in  the  general  fruitfulness  of  the  Syrian  field.  The 
people  are  rousing  from  their  long  sice]}.  Every  thing  is 
more  hopeful,  I am  told,  than  at  any  previous  time  in  the 
history  of  the  mission.  Dr.  Eli  Smith  is  busy  on  the 
translation  of  the  Old  Testament,  aided  by  two  native 
brethren.  Dr.  Deforest  is  engaged  in  conducting  a Fe- 
male Boarding  School.  Mr.  Whiting  is  pastor  of  the 
native  church,  and  Mr.  Hurtter  is  secular  superintendent 
and  printer.  All  are  very  constantly  employed,  and  seem 
happy  in  their  work.  I think  the  Arab  mind  is  both  acute 
and  capacious.  There  is  full  opportunity  among  them  for 
the  best  efforts  of  the  best  men.”  “ Oh ! could  my  dear 
brethren  and  sisters  in  Danbury  appreciate  the  value  of 
the  gospel  as  one  can  in  this  land  of  darkness  and  death, 
they  would  be  awake.  While  in  Beyroot,  I saw  several 
cases  of  severe  persecution  — threats  of  poisoning,  ban- 
ishment, torture,  — but  these  could  not  quench  the  striv- 
ings of  the  Spirit.  Persecution  will  try  men’s  souls.  I 
was  greatly  delighted  to  see  the  interest  with  which  men 
there  studied  the  Bible.  They  had  meetings  for  this  pur- 
pose every  week,  and  about  forty  young  men  assembled 
every  Sabbath  noon  to  ask  questions  of  Dr.  Smith.  Some 
of  the  young  men  in  America  might  learn  profitable  les- 
sons from  their  course.  They  used  often  to  think  there, 
that  Sunday  Schools  and  Bible  Classes  were  for  small 


104 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


children.  But  could  they  see  with  what  eagerness  the 
Bible  is  studied  among  the  inquiring  and  the  converted 
in  the  East,  I think  they  would  feel  that  it  is  a deep  mine 
which  they  have  explored  but  very  little.  Gray-headed 
men  put  on  spectacles  and  commence  their  A B C’s,  that 
they  may  know  what  the  Bible  says.  People  do  not 
question  the  authority  of  the  Bible  ; the  inquiry  is,  What 
does  it  say  ? All  the  Christian  sects  of  Syria  have  a great 
reverence  for  the  Bible.  W oe  to  the  shepherds  who  keep 
it  from  their  flocks  Very  few  possess  it  entire.  It  has 
hitherto  been  very  costly ; who  will  refuse  to  aid  its  cir- 
culation ? ” 

In  running  over  the  list  of  the  laborers  whom  Dr.  Lob- 
dell  found  at  Beyroot,  it  is  affecting  to  note  again  the 
ravages  of  time.  Whiting,  the  pioneer,  Smith,  the  scholar, 
and  Deforest,  the  beloved  physician  and  teacher,  have 
ceased  from  their  earthly  labors.  Mr.  Ford  and  Dr.  Van- 
dyck  have  been  torn  up  from  their  stations,  like  a tree 
from  the  soil  in  which  it  was  rooted,  and  transferred  to 
Beyroot  to  fill  the  places  of  the  departed,  and  all  this  for 
want  of  seasonable  and  sufficient  reinforcements  to  relieve 
and  strengthen  them,  before  they  were  crushed  beneath 
their  excessive  labors ! When  and  where  will  this  fatal 
process  end? 


CHAPTER  VII. 


Journey  to  Aintab  — English  Steamer  — Tripoli  — Latakiy  a —Detention  of  two 
Weeks— Appeal  for  Missionaries  at  Latakiy  a —Manner  of  Traveling  — 
Hardships  and  Dangers  of  the  Way  — Valley  of  the  Orontes  — Sabbath  at 
Killis  — l’iety  of  the  Native  Brethren  — Call  for  Missionaries  — Three  Weeks 
in  Aintab  — The  Work  there  — Petitioned  to  remain  — Appeal  for  a Mis- 
sionary Physician  — History  and  Present  State  of  the  Mission. 


Although  Mrs.  Lobdell  was  still  so  unwell  that  it  was 
with  difficulty  she  reached  the  wharf,  yet  they  resolved  to 
accompany  Mr.  F ord  on  his  return  to  Aleppo ; and  ac- 
cordingly on  Saturday,  Feb.  21st,  they  embarked  in  a 
transient  English  steamer  for  Latakiya.  The  sailors  were 
dirty,  greasy,  and  groggy , and  the  captain  more  clever  than 
clean.  But,  with  favoring  winds,  the  voyage  was  only  of 
fifteen  hours,  and  every  hour  brought  renewed  health  and 
strength  to  Mrs.  Lobdell.  At  midnight  they  stopped  a 
little  while  in  the  roadstead  opposite  Tripoli,  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  seaport  cities  of  Syria,  quite  distinguished 
in  the  history  of  the  Saracens  and  the  Crusaders,  and 
recently  occupied  by  Messrs.  Lyon  and  Jessup,  as  a sta- 
tion of  the  Syrian  Mission.  At  nine  in  the  morning  they 
reached  Latakiya,  and  though  it  was  the  Sabbath,  they 
were  obliged  to  go  ashore,  that  the  steamer  might  con- 
tinue its  voyage.  Through  the  kindness  of  the  American 
Vice-Consul,  they  soon  found  lodgings  in  an  upper  room 
of  moderate  size,  with  unglazed  and  iron-barred  windows, 
furnished  with  mats,  a piece  or  two  of  old  carpeting,  a 
single  chair  and  a single  table  — comfortable  quarters  for 
Syria,  very  comfortable  in  comparison  with  what  they 
were  to  find  afterwards,  but  now  reminding  them  very 
strongly  of  “the  upper  story  of  the  Danbury  jail.”  And 


106 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


here  they  were  obliged  to  remain  two  entire  weeks  for  ani- 
mals to  convey  them  on  their  further  journey.  None  could 
be  found  in  Latakiya,  capable  of  carrying  the  covered 
litter,  in  which  Mrs.  Lobdell  and  the  child  had  to  be  con- 
veyed. Mr.  Ford  was  therefore  obliged  to  proceed  alone, 
and  send  back  animals  from  Aleppo.  Meanwhile  Dr. 
Lobdell  occupied  himself  in  writing  letters  to  his  friends, 
ministering  to  the  health  and  comfort  of  his  wife  and 
child,  studying  Arabic  where  not  a soul  could  speak 
English,  looking  into  the  manners,  customs,  and  religion 
of  the  people,  and  learning,  what  however  it  did  not  take 
a very  long  time  to  learn,  that  Syria  is,  as  a Maltese  once 
said  in  his  broken  English  to  one  of  the  missionaries  at  Bey- 
root,  “ a 'plenty -patience  country .”  After  witnessing  for 
the  first  time  the  pictures,  crossings,  kissings  and  genu- 
flexions, and  above  all  the  indecent  levity  of  the  priests 
and  the  people  in  the  Greek  Church,  he  concludes  that  it 
is  little  better  than  the  Roman  Catholic : “ I looked  on 
the  ceremony  with  pity  and  sorrow.  And  is  this  the 
Christianity  of  the  East,  thought  I?  May  the  day  be 
hastened,  when  these  people  shall  see  a better  representa- 
tion of  the  religion  of  the  Cross.  I have  had  several 
requests  from  the  people,  that  I would  remain  here  and 
teach  them  4 Protestantism.’  But  my  work  is  not  here. 
May  they  soon  have  some  one  to  unfold  to  them  Christ 
and  him  crucified,  with  apostolic  simplicity  and  earnest- 
ness.” In  marked  contrast  with  the  parade  and  ceremony 
of  the  Greek  Church,  we  see  the  good  missionary  holding 
a simple  service  with  his  family  in  their  little  jail-like 
upper  room.  “ I read  a sermon  from  a manuscript.  Lucy 
and  Mary  were  my  audience.  We  had  a good  meeting.” 
At  evening  he  writes  in  his  journal:  “have  had  a solemn 
but  good  day.” 

In  a letter  to  Dr.  Anderson,  written  from  Aintab,  he 
presses  the  claims  of  Latakiya  upon  the  attention  of  the 
Prudential  Committee : “ It  is  a central  place,  and  I have 


LATAKIYA ANTIOCH. 


107 


no  hesitation  in  saying,  that  there  is  every  probability,  that 
faithful  laborers  stationed  there  would  find  the  work  of 
the  Lord  prospering  in  their  hands,  before  they  had  ex- 
pended half  the  effort  and  money  that  have  been  devoted 
to  many  places  in  the  East,  which  it  would  be  both  folly 
and  a crime  to  abandon.  Shall  its  fifteen  thousand  in- 
habitants forever  grope  their  way  down  to  death  ? ” 

The  question  still  remains  unanswered.  And  why? 
“ Because  the  laborers  are  few.” 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  remark,  that  Latakiya  is  the 
ancient  Laodicea,  not  however  that  of  the  Apocalypse, 
but  one  of  half  a dozen  others  bearing  the  same  name ; 
and  one  of  four  cities  in  the  same  Province  (Seleucia, 
Antioch,  Laodicea  and  Apamea,)  all  of  more  or  less  in- 
terest, which  Seleucus,  the  founder  of  the  Seleucian  dy- 
nasty, built,  and  called  severally  after  his  own  name,  and 
after  that  of  his  father,  his  mother,  and  his  wife.  Antioch, 
where  “the  disciples  were  first  called  Christians,”  has 
lately  received  a missionary  from  America.  May  Latakiya 
now  famous  chiefly  for  its  fine  tobacco,  soon  become  an 
emporium  of  the  gospel ! 

On  the  4th  of  March,  the  mules  engaged  by  Mr.  Ford 
arrived.  But  the  owner,  who  had  been  paid  partly  in 
advance,  had  pocketed  the  money  and  decamped ; and 
the  chief  muleteer  now  refused  to  take  them,  unless  they 
would  pay  nearly  double  the  stipulated  price.  By  the 
intervention  of  the  Consul  and  the  appliance  of  ready 
money,  the  difficulty  was  at  length  adjusted,  and  the  con- 
tract sealed  over  a cup  of  coffee.  And  at  nine  A.  M.  of 
Saturday,  March  6th,  they  set  out  on  their  land  journey, 
which,  though  as  reckoned  by  distance  it  was  less  in  all 
than  four  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  was  to  take  more  time 
than  it  had  taken  to  cross  the  Atlantic  and  the  Mediter- 
ranean, and  required  a vastly  greater  amount  of  personal 
sacrifice  and  patience. 

“ About  a hundred  persons  collected  around  us  as  we 


108 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


started.  The  taht-tra-wan,  in  which  Mrs.  Lobdell  and  the 
little  one  were  to  ride,  was  to  them  a curiosity,  and  pos- 
sibly it  would  be  to  Yankees  at  home.  It  was  a rudely 
constructed  bier,  painted  blue,  with  red  curtains  over 
windows  of  glass  and  shutters  of  wire,  borne  between 
two  mules  fore  and  aft,  whose  backs  were  covered  with 
immense  pack  saddles,  which  of  themselves  would  be  a 
sufficient  burden  for  any  four-footed  animal  in  America.* 
Our  train  consisted  of  eight  other  mules,  some  having  a 
huge  box  on  either  side  of  their  broad  saddles,  and  the  rest 
mounted  by  three  slender  specimens  of  humanity.  A 
couple  of  donkeys  served  to  make  a decent  variety,  and 
the  mule  with  large  bundles  of  bedding,  and  half  a dozen 
bells  round  her  neck,  led  the  van,  as  we  moved  off  c over 
the  hills  and  far  away.’  ” 

They  were  six  days  of  actual  travel,  and  eight  days, 
including  unavoidable  detentions,  in  going  about  ninety 
miles.  The  first  night  they  slept  in  a stable,  the  smaller 
of  two  that  “ had  been  scraped  out  for  their  reception,” 
and  preferred  to  the  larger,  because  “ it  gave  less  marked 
evidence  of  the  recent  occupancy  of  cattle  ; ” but  they 
found  comfort,  and  even  joy  in  thinking  of  him  who  was 
born  in  a stable,  and  afterwards  had  not  where  to  lay  his 
head.  “ The  people  were  the  most  WTetched  human 
beings  I ever  saw.  Laziness  was  visible  in  every  house. 
Democracy  seemed  to  be  the  approved  form  of  govern- 
ment. Equality  was  their  din  and  cry.  We  must  eat, 
sleep,  and  act  as  they  did.  We  did  not  get  out  of  the 
village  until  two  of  our  muleteers  had  received  from  each 
other  a number  of  severe  blows ; but  fortunately  we 
escaped  ourselves  in  a respectable  state  of  preservation.” 

Near  the  close  of  the  second  day,  two  men  sprung  upon 
them  from  the  way  side  and  demanded  u buckshish.” 
But  the  Doctor  professed  not  to  understand  Arabic ! They 

* In  a private  letter,  he  likens  it  to  “ the  covered  body  of  a N.  E.  market 
wagon,  bating  the  wheels.” 


JlSIi THE  OUONTES. 


109 


followed  on,  firing  a gun,  and  renewing  their  demand 
with  sundry  significant  gestures.  But  the  resolute  Yan- 
kee did  not  approve  of  “ taxation  without  representation  ” 
And  at  length  they  gave  him  over  for  “ a hard  customer.” 

The  next  day,  it  began  to  rain  while  they  were  six 
miles  (two  hours)  from  any  human  habitation.  “ It 
poured  down  like  a New  England  thunder  storm,  and  I 
rode  on  drenched  and  cold.  It  tried  to  snow,  but  split 
the  difference,  and  hailed  tremendously.”  But  they  quite 
forgot  the  past,  when  after  an  hour,  it  ceased  to  rain,  the 
sun  came  out,  and  they  looked  down,  from  the  mountain 
west,  on  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  famous  Orontes. 
“ The  plain  was  variegated  like  a Persian  carpet.  Its  red 
soil,  green  crops,  yellow  flowers,  and  thriving  appearance, 
at  once  recalled  the  valley  of  the  Connecticut  and  the 
view  from  Mt.  Holyoke.”  But  man  — only  man  was  vile. 
What  was  their  disappointment,  as  they  descended  from 
the  mountain  and  entered  the  village  of  Jisr,  to  find 
amid  so  much  fertility  and  loveliness,  “ one-story  mud 
huts,  grass-covered,  and  filled  with  miserable  people,  large 
piles  of  dung  in  front  of  the  doors,  and  every  possible 
sign  of  wretchedness  around.  Oh  what  a blot  upon 
nature,  what  a curse  man  can  be ! ” 

“We  slept  in  a wretched  khan,  uncomfortable  and  sad ; 
for  misery  was  all  around  us.  Morning  came,  and  we 
began  to  prepare  for  departure.  I saw  that  our  muleteer 
made  no  haste,  so  I surveyed  the  Roman  ruins  of  the 
town.  A magnificent  bridge  of  fourteen  arches  crosses 
the  Orontes,  a superbly  paved  road  runs  north  from  the 
town,  a fortress  stands  in  its  center,  all  giving  proof  of 
what  has  been  and  what  may  be.  The  contrast  of  these 
noble  works  with  the  mud  shanties  of  the  people,  the 
ruined  aqueducts  with  the  miserable  walls,  was  sad  enough: 
what  can  not  Mohammedanism  and  human  depravity  pol- 
lute and  destroy  ? ” 

“ Before  we  left  the  khan,  my  servant  had  some  loud 

10 


110 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


words  with  the  landlord  over  the  sum  to  be  paid  him ; 
and  as  usual  in  such  cases,  the  tumult  became  general. 
Mrs.  Lobdell,  partly  from  fear  and  partly  to  try  the  effect 
of  music  upon  them,  began  to  sing,  4 Did  Christ  o’er  sin- 
ners weep,’  &c.  The  effect  was  instantaneous.  The 
storm  was  succeeded  by  a calm.  But  this  was  not  the 
end  of  their  troubles. 

44We  set  out.  While  on  the  great  bridge,  two  ruffians 
seized  the  bridle  of  my  mule  and  cried  out,  4 buckshish,’ 
4buckshish.’  Their  requests  were  a little  too  authorita- 
tive to  suit  me,  and  raising  my  hickory  cane,  I drove  them 
off  with  great  difficulty.  One  of  them  returned  to  the 
charge,  when  I turned  the  instrument  and  plied  the  knob 
over  his  skull  not  very  compassionately.  While  he  was 
attempting  to  pick  up  a stone,  I made  out  to  escape,  and 
the  two,  with  a dozen  others,  then  attacked  Pelo.  I feared 
they  would  rob,  if  not  kill  him;  but  after  an  hour,  he 
came  on  after  us,  having  got  away  by  making  them  a 
considerable  present.  I found  out  that  my  chief  mule- 
teer was  the  cause  of  the  attack,  and  I intended  to  make 
him  suffer  for  it  when  I reached  Aleppo,  but  my  proof  was 
deficient.” 

44  As  we  wandered  through  the  plain  we  had  a good 
time  to  muse.  What  a contrast  the  peaceful  stream  and 
winding  valley  presented  with  the  dark  and  bloody  people ! 
Mrs.  L.  could  not  restrain  her  tears ; but  the  babe’s  happy 
unconsciousness  and  quiet  smile  soon  gave  her  thoughts 
another  direction.” 

Towards  night  of  the  same  day,  they  found  themselves 
sinking  in  marshy  ground  ; the  takht  broke  down,  Mrs.  L. 
then  mounted  a mule  and  he  fell ; the  baby  was  thrown  from 
another ; indeed,  every  animal  and  all  the  baggage  was 
precipitated  into  the  mud.  Mrs.  L.  was  carried  out  on 
the  backs  of  four  muleteers,  and  it  was  an  hour  before  we 
44  all  came  safe  to  land.”  ...  44  It  was  not  till  near  nine 
o’clock  in  the  evening,  that  lights  were  seen  glimmering 


ALEPPO 


111 


in  the  distance.  For  two  hours  it  had  been  so  dark  and 
stormy,  that  I had  given  the  reins  entirely  to  my  mule. 
The  animal’s  eyes  were  better  than  mine.  We  were  glad 
to  get  into  a khan  once  more,  after  riding  thirteen  hours 
amid  danger  and  storms. 

“ That  was  an  eventful  day  to  us,  but  we  needed  the 
discipline.  I need  not  detail  the  incidents  of  our  travel 
thence  to  Aleppo.  W e were  kept  at  Maarat  Musreen  two 
days  by  rains,  spent  another  night  in  a miserable  hovel 
among  calves  and  chickens,  and  reached  Aleppo,  the  city 
of  camels,  bazaars,  and  smokers,  in  tolerable  health  and 
full  of  hope. 

“ I find  I have  not  seen  all  the  East  yet ; but  I have 
seen  enough  to  know  that  there  is  no  land  like  the  U nited 
States.  God  grant  that  our  countrymen  may  never  forget 
the  source  of  their  prosperity — the  religion  of  the  Puri- 
tans— the  gosjiel  of  Christ.” 

They  were  soon  comfortably  installed  in  Mr.  Ford’s 
house  at  Aleppo ; but  to  their  great  disappointment,  Mr. 
Ford  had  already  left  with  Mr.  Marsh  of  Mosul,  to  attend 
the  general  meeting  of  the  Syria  mission  at  Beyroot,  so 
long  had  our  travellers  been  delayed  on  their  way.  There 
they  remained  five  days  resting,  recruiting  for  their  fur- 
ther journey>  forming  some  pleasant  acquaintances  with 
English  and  French  merchants,  rejoicing  in  the  apparent 
sincerity  and  scriptural  piety  of  the  few  Protestant  Chris- 
tians, looking  with  more  or  less  interest  on  the  gardens, 
bazaars,  Saracenic  walls,  and  crumbling  ruins f of  a city 
which  at  the  close  of  the  last  century,  numbered  230,000 
inhabitants,  but  now  only  80,000  ; and  sorrowing  most  of 
all,  that  a city,  still  so  large,  should  have  but  a single,  sol- 
itary missionary, t to  preach  the  pure  gospel  to  its  igno- 
rant and  bigoted  population. 


* In  1822,  an  earthquake  overturned  most  of  the  public  buildings  and  reduced 
the  greater  part  of  the  city  to  a heap  of  ruins, 
t Dr.  Pratt  now  occupies  the  place  then  occupied  by  Mr.  Ford. 


112 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


In  Aleppo,  Dr.  Lobdell  received  his  first  package  of 
letters  from  “home,”  and  among  the  rest  one  from  the 
pastor  of  his  beloved  church  in  Danbury.  It  calls  forth 
the  liveliest  emotions.  He  answers  it  immediately,  and 
as  he  looks  back  upon  their  blessings  he  thus  speaks,  in 
contrast,  of  what  his  eyes  had  seen,  and  his  heart  had 
felt  in  the  villages  which  he  had  just  passed  through,  and 
in  the  great  city  which  was  now  his  place  of  sojourn  . “I 
do  not  believe  a single  individual  with  whom  I had  any- 
thing to  do  in  those  villages,  knows  anything  about  the 
way,  the  truth,  and  the  life.  Many  profess  to  love  Chris- 
tianity, but  their  religion  has  not  even  the  form  of  godli- 
ness. And  then  the  temporal  wretchedness  — what  can 
relieve  it  but  the  gospel  ? Some  of  these  places  appeared 
to  be  waiting  for  the  fires  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  You 
can  form  no  conception  of  their  filth,  misery,  and  pollu- 
tion. My  heart  mourned  over  them.  But  I can  only 
send  a faint  voice  to  my  countrymen  for  help.  Come 
and  teach  them;  they  know  not  what  they  do.  I will 
welcome  others,  as  my  brethren  have  welcomed  me,  to  a 
share  in  their  trials  and  their  joys,  their  sufferings  and 
their  reward.  No  earthly  inducement  can  be  offered,  but 
a mere  natural  sympathy  that  is  ineffective  and  futile  ; but 
clad  in  the  panoply  of  heaven,  and  laboring  with  the  eye 
upon  eternity,  one  can  live  and  die  for  their  salvation.  I 
do  not  love  my  country  less,  that  I am  far  away ; I pray 
that  she  may  fulfill  her  glorious  mission.  She  seems  to 
me  to  be  the  star  of  hope  for  the  nations.  But  her  own 
salvation  depends  upon  her  attachment  to  the  Bible,  and 
her  zeal  in  its  propagation.  There  is  no  worse  enemy  to 
his  own  country,  than  he  who  would  hoard  its  blessings 
like  the  miser.  True  philanthropy  and  true  patriotism 
are  inseparable.  While  the  state  of  the  world  at  large  is 
what  it  is,  that  is  a false  patriotism  which  turns  all  its  care 
upon  the  land  of  one’s  nativity.  The  true  patriot  is  he 


KILLIS. 


113 


who  views  the  whole  world  as  his  country,  who  realizes 
that  humanity  has  a common  interest  in  a common  des- 
tiny. Let  us  be  neither  Greek,  Jew,  Turk,  English,  or 
American,  if  we  must  forget  our  relationship  to  the  uni- 
versal brotherhood.  Let  demagogues  be  partisans,  but  let 
Christians  be  philanthropists. 

“ Since  reaching  Aleppo,  and  seeing  the  diversity  of  sects 
here,  all  holding  fundamental  errors,  I feel  more  than  ever 
that  the  pure  precepts  of  the  gospel  are  the  only  sure  guide 
to  unity  and  safety.  It  is  sad  to  find  not  a score  of  real 
Christians  among  a population  of  80,000.  But  ‘a  little 
leaven  leaveneth  the  whole  lump.’  So  we  will  hope. 
There  is  much  to  encourage  labor,  and  it  is  not  too  much 
to  ask,  that  into  this  quarter  of  the  Lord’s  vineyard,  the 
American  churches  should  send  a hundred  laborers  this 
year.  New  Englanders  are  generous,  but  they  can  afford 
to  be  more  so.  They  are  at  the  summit  of  the  race  ; may 
their  benefactions  flow  over  the  earth.  Cry  aloud,  and 
spare  not,  my  brother.  After  the  conflict  is  peace  and  a 
crown.” 

Leaving  Aleppo  on  Friday,  March  19th,  two  days  brought 
them  to  Killis,  where  they  spent  the  Sabbath  ; and  then 
after  two  days  more  of  greater  hardship  and  suffering  than 
they  had  experienced  even  on  their  journey  from  Latakiya 
to  Aleppo,  they  arrived,  tired,  chilled  with  the  cold,  and 
sick,  at  the  quarantine  in  Aintab.  The  incidents  of  this 
journey  and  Dr.  Lobdell’s  observations  by  the  way,  as  he 
narrates  them  in  a full  but  unadorned  journal  sent  to  his 
friends,  exceed  in  interest  many  a chapter  in  those  ro- 
mances and  books  of  travel,  which  so  fascinate  the  reading 
public  of  our  day.  But  they  were  quite  subordinate  in 
his  estimation  to  the  moral  and  religious  aspects  of  those 
most  interesting  missionary  stations ; and  we  can  not  dwell 
upon  them  in  this  memoir. 

The  following  extracts  from  letters  giving  an  account 
10* 


114 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


of  the  Sabbath  at  Killis,  and  the  state  of  things  at  Aintab, 
though  somewhat  disconnected,  can  not  but  be  read  with 
deep  interest. 


Aintab,  Syria,  March  30,  1852. 

Dear  Brother  Scofield, — I have  just  time  to  say  a 
few  words  about  our  journey  hither  from  Aleppo,  and  the 
state  of  things  in  Aintab.  I may  also  say  something  of 
Killis,  where  we  spent  the  last  Sabbath.  We  had  rainy 
weather  most  of  the  time,  and  were  obliged  to  sleep  in 
very  uncomfortable  mud  huts  two  out  of  the  four  nights 
we  were  on  the  road.  But  I need  not  speak  of  the  neces- 
sity of  sleeping  in  the  same  room  with  a dozen  different 
species  of  animals  of  all  sizes  and  habits,  of  the  dirty  floors, 
the  muddy  yards,  the  wretched  people,  and  our  little  dif- 
ficulties en  route . I might  interest  you,  perhaps,  with  a 
description  of  our  appearance  while  crossing  a swamp,  and 
the  house  in  which  we  Avere  obliged  to  lie  on  the  wet 
earthen  floor,  while  our  baggage  was  left  for  the  night  in 
the  mud ; our  eating  rice  with  penknives,  and  seeing  the 
natives  make  their  beds  in  dirty  cut  straw.  But  you  wish 
to  know  the  state  of  the  people’s  souls,  and  the  opinions 
of  your  brother  regarding  the  openings  here  for  missionary 
effort. 

I have  already  sent  to  the  United  States  a little  account 
of  our  stay  with  our  native  brother  Sarkis  at  Killis ; of 
our  cordial  welcome  to  the  hosjfitalities  of  his  house,  which 
he  insisted  on  almost  vacating  for  our  accommodation  ; 
of  the  contrast  between  its  whitewashed  Avails  and  its  cur- 
tained, carpeted,  and  every  Avay  comfortable  apartments 
Avith  the  hovel  in  which  Ave  had  passed  the  previous  night, 
and  Avith  the  ordinary  houses  of  the  unenlightened  masses 
of  the  people  ; of  the  Aroices  of  prayer  and  hymns  of  praise 
from  the  native  brethren  Avhich  Avere  the  last  sounds 
I heard  on  Saturday  evening,  and  the  first  I heard  on 
Sunday  morning  \ and  of  the  unity,  faith,  and  love,  Avliich 


A SABBATH  IN  KILLIS. 


115 


were  manifested  by  this  little  band  of  truly  primitive  dis- 
ciples, gathered  almost  entirely  by  the  labors  of  native 
Protestant  lay  Christians.  I will  just  show  you  the  way 
in  which  I succeeded  in  communicating  with  the  native 
brethren.  I had  no  letter  of  recommendation  to  them, 
and  was  taken  to  the  house  of  this  Protestant  by  our 
Moslem  muleteer.  The  brethren  were  amazed  at  the  di- 
minutive size  of  my  Bible,  and  though  I could  speak  no 
Turkish  and  but  little  Arabic,  I managed  to  assure  them, 
by  quoting  passages  with  proper  names,  of  the  identity  of 
our  books.  We  were  all  of  one  spirit,  and  I prayed  with 
them  m English  at  their  request.  Our  songs  were  heart- 
felt, if  not  musical.  In  the  afternoon,  they  requested  me 
to  go  with  them  to  a little,  low,  cold  room — their  church 
— and  compare  our  Bibles  still  further.  By  learning  a 
few  Turkish  words,  I could  refer  them  to  the  chapter  and 
verse  which  I wished  to  bring  to  their  notice.  Desiring 
to  learn  the  extent  of  their  acquaintance  with  the  doc- 
trines of  Protestantism,  I requested  them  to  take  the  lead 
in  the  selection.  They  quoted  such  passages  as  these  : — 
“ Christ  is  become  of  no  effect  unto  you,  whosoever  of 
you  is  justified  by  the  law”;  “We  are  the  circumcision 
which  worship  God  in  the  Spirit,  and  rejoice  in  Christ 
Jesus,  and  have  no  confidence  in  the  flesh,”  &c.  I need 
not  specify  others.  These  show  that  they  have  the  seed 
of  the  gospel.  Their  holy  conversation,  so  far  as  I could 
understand  it,  and  their  anxiety  to  have  a preacher  sent 
them  from  America,  prove  that  they  are  looking  to  Jesus, 
and  wish  their  fellow  citizens  to  know  the  gospel  in  its 
purity.  They  said  it  could  not  be  jileasant  for  my  coun- 
trymen to  leave  all  their  blessings  and  come  to  dwell  with 
such  a poor  people  as  they ; nevertheless,  they  would  send 
forth  a Macedonian  cry.  And  do  you  not  think  I could 
appreciate  their  earnestness,  when  they  turned  my  eye  to 
the  passage  in  Luke,  declaring  that  “the  harvest  is  great,” 
and  to  Christ’s  answer  to  the  man  who  said,  “ I will  fol- 


116 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


low  thee,  but  let  me  first  go  bid  them  farewell  which  are 
in  my  house.” — “No  man  having  put  his  hand  to  the 
plow,  and  looking  back  is  fit  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven.” 
I never  spent  such  a Sabbath  as  that.  We  sat  three  suc- 
cessive hours  together,  and  I felt  that  it  was  good  to  be 
there.  Poor  they  were,  but  yet  they  were  richer  than 
many  with  their  millions ; their  treasure  is  in  heaven,  and 
their  hearts  are  there  also.  They  held  no  less  than  four 
services  of  their  own,  besides  the  time  they  spent  with 
me ; and  even  when  I awoke  in  the  morning,  the  voice  of 
prayer  and  songs  of  praise  were  rising  from  their  bowed 
hearts,  declaring  that  they  had  a peace  which  the  world 
can  neither  give  nor  take  away.  They  are  mostly  dyers, 
but  their  souls  are  clean.  I could  have  stopped  with  them, 
dirty  and  unattractive  as  the  town  was,  with  great  pleas- 
ure. The  next  morning  they  followed  us  out  of  town  — 
about  twenty  men — and  having  bade  them  a soul-felt  fare- 
well, we  all  looked  up  to  heaven  in  token  of  our  common 
hopes,  and  separated  to  meet  again  only  in  eternity.  But, 
my  dear  brother,  will  you  not  remember  those  dear  poor 
Christians  without  a leader?  Will  not  our  church  re- 
member them  ? They  rejoiced  greatly,  when  I told  them 
as  I left,  that  I had  written  the  evening  before  in  their 
behalf  to  America.  You  would  rejoice  to  labor  with 
them ; if  you  can  not  come,  send  a substitute.  Danbury 
ought  to  send  forth  twelve  missionaries  in  as  many  years ; 
will  you  not  try  to  stir  up  the  people  to  their  duty. 

Since  reaching  Aintab,  though  we  have  spent  a nomi- 
nal five  days’  quarantine  in  a damp  room,  through  which 
the  cold  winds  whistled  mournfully,  and  have  been  out 
only  one  day,  I have  seen  enough  to  reassure  you  that  a 
glorious  work  is  transpiring  here.  The  people  are  poor, 
but  what  a fullness  of  the  Holy  Ghost  many  of  them  have ! 
The  church  is  not  large,  but  many  are  seeking  to  enter. 
Of  the  building,  I shall  speak  hereafter  — a mere  mat- 
covered  frame  and  bare  ground.  Schools  are  held  in  it, 


AINTAB. 


117 


and  a blind  teacher  in  the  female  department  is  the  most 
interesting  man  I ever  saw.  He  reminds  me  of  Stephen, 
— his  countenance  is  heavenly,  and  his  heart  is  full  of 
peace.  You  may  see  his  portrait  in  an  old  number  of  the 
Day  Spring.  Though  blind,  he  sees.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Schneider  arc  absent ; Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crane  and  Mrs.  Dr. 
Smith  are  the  only  missionaries  left.  They  are  all  feeble. 
They  need  medical  help  very  much  here,  and  desire  me  to 
stay ; but  I must  go  on.  The  American  Board  should 
send  not  ten,  but  fifty  men  into  this  region  soon.  The 
towns  are  open  and  the  people  call.  Will  the  churches 
hear  ? It  is  not  rhetoric  when  the  missionaries  state  the 
wants  of  this  people — it  is  sober  matter  of  fact.  I rejoice 
to  be  here.  Mrs.  L.  is  not  very  strong,  but  we  shall  go  on 
next  week.” 

Detained  two  or  three  weeks  by  the  sickness  of  Mrs. 
Lobdell  and  their  babe,  Dr.  Lobdell  wrote  a week  later  to 
the  same  friend.  He  describes  briefly  the  situation  of 
Aintab,  its  countless  graves,  its  varied  population,  and  the 
beautiful  valley,  in  which  mounds  and  meads,  flocks  and 
streams  are  to  be  seen  in  every  direction.  “There  is 
nothing  particularly  attractive  in  the  region  about,  except 
this  valley,  and  there  are  no  public  works  or  remains  of 
antiquity  to  interest  the  traveler.  But  a few  years  ago 
it  had  not  been  heard  of  out  of  Asia  Minor  and  Syria ; 
now  its  reputation  is  world-wide.  Victories  of  Saracens 
and  Crusaders  — what  are  they , compared  with  the  moral 
triumphs  and  conquests  that  have  recently  been  witnessed 
here ! The  town  is  built  of  a coarse,  chalky  limestone, 
which  easily  crumbles,  and  in  many  places  the  walls  are 
seen  tumbling  down.  I have  noticed  the  walls  of  mosks 
disintegrating  and  giving  a good  illustration  of  the  wor- 
shipers that  gather  five  times  daily  in  them.  Poverty  is 
written  all  over  the  city.  But  a spirit  of  enterprise  is  ap- 
pearing among  those  to  whom  the  gospel  has  been  faith- 
fully preached  for  a few  years  past.  Dr.  Smith,  though 


118 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


dead,  yet  speaks.  The  posts  which  he  established  in  Asia 
Minor  have  become  the  admiration  of  all  the  people. 
His  influence  is  scarcely  less  apparent  in  the  secular,  than 
in  the  religious  condition  of  the  community  .” 

He  fulfills  his  promise  and  gives  a description  of  the 
church  edifice ; how  it  grew  by  successive  and  irregular  ad- 
ditions, till  an  old  one-story  stone  house,  some  fifteen  feet  by 
forty,  became  a great  tabernacle  “ enclosed  by  straw  mats 
against  stakes,  thatched  with  straw,  like  an  old-fashioned 
New  England  barn,”  and,  with  the  help  of  a rude  “gallery 
formed  by  stretching  a few  boards  across  the  west  end,” 
capable  of  containing  rather  than  accommodating  six  or 
seven  hundred  worshipers;  and  the  original  place  of 
worship  — the  nucleus  about  which  the  successive  accre- 
tions had  gathered  — was  now  set  apart  for  the  women. 
“ It  is  of  course  deeply  interesting  to  see  the  audience  on 
the  Sabbath.  The  pulpit  is  a little  platform  behind  a 
desk,  considerably  less  furnished  than  those  usually  found 
in  a New  England  school-house,  and  recesses  are  left  in 
the  walls,  where  the  boots  and  overshoes  of  the  natives  are 
deposited  as  they  enter.  They  all  sit  cross-legged  on  the 
mats  that  are  spread  on  the  earthen  floor ; and  when  a 
hymn  has  been  read,  the  whole  audience  unite  in  a tre- 
mendous burst  of  would-be  music.  During  prayer  their 
heads  are  uncovered  by  removing  their  turbans.  When 
preaching  has  commenced  every  eye  is  turned  towards 
the  preacher  and  remains  riveted  on  him  till  he  closes  his 
discourse.  Oh,  how  I wanted  to  preach  to  that  audience ! 

“ The  women  all  wore  their  white  veils  or  sheets,  which 
cover  the  entire  person ; and  we  could  not  but  think  of 
the  contrast  of  their  condition  with  that  of  the  women  at 
home.  Even  the  ladies  of  the  mission  families  deem  it 
wise  to  regard  somewhat  the  oriental  notion  of  their  in- 
feriority to  the  men.  It  will  not  do  for  one  of  them  to 
ride  on  horseback  here.  It  is  but  lately  that  even  the 
gentlemen  of  the  mission  could  go  out  without  receiv- 


THE  NATIVE  CHRISTIANS. 


119 


ing  a volley  of  stones.  You  may  remember  that  Mr. 
Johnston  was  driven  away  from  here  some  years  ago  by 
showers  of  stones.  I have  not  had  a single  insult  offered 
me  since  I came  here.  This  is  owing  to  one  or  both  of 
two  reasons,  — my  habit  of  daily  dispensing  medicines,  and 
the  advance  of  Protestant  doctrines  and  influence.  Prob- 
ably the  latter  is  the  chief  reason.  All  classes,  Mohamme- 
dans even,  have  united  in  petitioning  me  to  remain  here. 
Several  hundred  have  signed  a paper,  and  gray-headed 
men  wept,  when  assured  that  I must  go.  I have  sent  an 
earnest  appeal  to  the  Prudential  Committee  of  our  Board 
to  send  them  a physician  as  soon  as  possible.  They  also 
need  more  ministers.  The  whole  region  is  awake. 
Whence  shall  come  the  men  ? ” 

In  the  above  mentioned  appeal  to  the  Prudential  Com- 
mittee, dated  Aintab,  April  5,  1852,  Dr.  Lobdell  thus 
writes  : “ Surely  American  Christians  have  not  a tithe  of 
the  devotion  of  converted  Armenians,  if  they  will  refuse 
to  listen  to  the  Macedonian  cry  of  these  their  oppressed 
brethren.  I have  no  hesitation  in  saying,  that  at  least  three 
able-bodied  men  are  required  at  this  station  constantly, 
and  a fourth  would  be  able  to  do  great  good  by  circulating 
among  the  adjacent  towns  and  villages.  The  brethren  here 
have  already  been  obliged  to  diminish  the  number  of  their 
preaching  services  nearly  one-half,  though  this  is  evident- 
ly much  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  work,  which  is  still  as 
encouraging  as  ever.  I attended  the  services  on  the  Sab- 
bath, with  my  pockets  full  of  medicines,  from  which  I had 
been  prescribing  on  the  way,  and  felt  that  it  must  require 
no  ordinary  amount  of  effort  to  preach  acceptably  to  the 
six  hundred  anxious  hearers  squatted  on  their  mats  under 
that  thatched  roof.  Very  many  of  them  have  a much 
clearer  idea  of  the  great  doctrines  of  grace,  than  the  ma- 
jority of  Christians  in  the  United  States,  for  they  have 
studied  the  word  of  God  more  faithfully.  The  number  of 
inquirers,  the  demand  for  earnest  and  logical  preaching, 


120 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBBELL. 


the  debilitating  influence  of  a foreign  climate,  and  the 
necessity  of  prescribing  for  the  sick,  are  so  great,  that  I 
do  not  wonder  Mr.  Schneider  feels  that  the  labor  is  too 
exhausting  for  his  energies,  nor  that  Mr.  Crane  declares 
that  he  shall  be  forced  to  leave  Aintab,  unless  a reinforce- 
ment soon  arrives.  It  is  impossible  for  an  enlightened 
Christian  to  be  among  them  and  not  task  himself  severely. 

“It  is  to  be  feared  the  idea  is  prevalent  in  the  United 
States,  that  alihost  all  the  people  here  are  Protestants, 
and  the  great  majority  genuine  Christians.  This  is  far 
from  being  the  truth.  The  work  is  yet  in  its  infancy.  It 
is  not  so  popular  to  be  a Protestant,  that  persecution  is 
not  still  to  be  endured.  The  old  Armenians  are  bitter 
yet,  and  the  Mohammedans  of  course  are  contemptuous 
and  bitterly  hostile.  The  city  numbers  about  fifty  thou- 
sand inhabitants;  the  Old  Armenian  Church  ten  thou- 
sand, the  Protestant  community  less  than  one  thousand, 
and  the  true  followers  of  Christ  less  than  one  hundred. 
Is  the  work  done  ? ” 

After  speaking  of  the  necessity  (growing  out  of  the  ed- 
ucation and  peculiar  circumstances  of  the  people,)  that 
the  missionaries  should  be  their  medical  and  secular,  not 
less  thjm  their  religious  advisers,  he  comes  to  their  urgent 
need  of  a physician  and  their  importunate  solicitations 
that  he  would  remain  with  them,  and  encloses  a transla- 
tion of  their  earnest  petition  to  this  effect.  In  this  peti- 
tion, the  people  acknowledge  their  unspeakable  obliga- 
tions for  the  benefits,  for  which  they  were -already  indebt- 
ed, under  God,  to  the  American  missionaries.  “No  words 
of  ours,”  they  say,  “ can  express  the  gratitude  we  feel.” 
They  impute  it  to  their  own  ingratitude  and  sinfulness, 
that  God  has  removed  Dr.  Smith  from  their  midst.  But 
what  shall  they  do?  They  have  as  little  confidence  in 
their  old  physicians  as  in  their  former  religious  teachers. 
And  “ without  a physician  we  shall  die.  W e all  there- 
fore, being  anxious  to  get  relief,  would  request  Dr.  Lob- 


I 


PETITIONED  TO  REMAIN. 


121 


dell  (not  as  a matter  of  obligation,  but  as  a favor  to  us)  to 
remain  among  us.  And  we  would  ask  it  still  further,  as 
we  believe  it  would  be  for  the  benefit  of  the  missionaries 
laboring  in  our  midst.  With  a firm  hope  and  confidence 
that  the  gospel  will  spread  still  more  rapidly  in  this  region, 
and  feeling,  moreover,  the  extreme  need  of  two  addition- 
al missionaries  coming  to  this  place,  we  would,  with  ex- 
ceeding gratitude  and  desire,  receive  this  one , regarding 
him  as  already  come.” 

In  conclusion  of  his  letter  to  Dr.  Anderson,  Dr.  Lobdell 
says:  “I  was  told  that  the  four  hundred  and  twenty 
names  affixed  to  the  above  paper,  were  signed  in  a single 
evening.  A member  of  the  old  community  told  Mr.  Crane 
he  would  hand  him  two  or  three  hundred  names  from  that 
church,  if  he  wished.  I was  told  by  one  of  the  wealth- 
iest of  the  Armenians  — himself  not  a Protestant  — that 
if  I would  stay  here,  and  practice  for  the  poor,  defending 
them  from  the  rapacity  of  their  native  doctors,  he  would 
give  a thousand  piastres  to  the  cause.  He  has  already 
given  two  thousand  towards  the  erection  of  the  new  Prot- 
estant church.  ...  I have  been  greatly  interested  in  the 
work  here,  and  I need  not  say,  that  I should  feel  quite 
disposed  to  listen  to  this  petition  of  the  people,  if  it  was 
for  me  to  decide.  But  I am  designated  to  Mosul,  and 
choose  to  go  there,  lest  I should  meet  the  fate  of  Jonah,  or 
at  least  be  said  to  build  on  another  man’s  foundation  ” 
He  adds,  in  a postscript : “ The  brethren  have  just  de- 
parted, after  receiving  a second  time  my  answer  in  the 
negative.  Stout  men  shed  tears.  I almost  feel  it  my 
duty  to  stay.  But  I can  not.  Do  send  a man.” 

In  1853,  an  ordained  physician,  Dr.  Pratt,  was  sent  to 
Aintab.  But  scarcely  had  he  reached  the  station,  when 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crane,  worn  out  with  labor  and  exposure  to 
an  uncongenial  climate,  were  obliged  to  leave  ; one  of 
Dr.  Pratt’s  first  letters  home  chronicles  their  departure 
from  the  city,  followed  by  a great  company  of  men, 
11 


122 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


women  and  children,  “ whose  sad  faces  told  how  they  felt 
to  have  a spiritual  guide  depart  to  return  no  more.”  “ It 
seems  to  me,”  he  says,  “ that  this  missionary  life  is  one  of 
high  joys  and  keen  sorrows  ; and  one  of  the  keenest  sor- 
rows is  to  feel,  that  these  poor  people,  who  are  earnest  for 
instruction,  must  be  left  to  their  ignorance,  because  none 
can  be  found  to  come  and  teach  them,  or  those  who  are 
here  are  called  away.”  W ell  may  he  add,  “We  earnestly 
pray  for  an  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  upon  our  seminaries 
and  colleges,  that  our  fields  may  thence  be  supplied  with 
laborers”  In  1856,  Mr.  Schneider  w~as  constrained  to 
break  away  from  his  overwhelming  cares  and  labors  as 
pastor  of  the  church,  teacher  of  the  theological  class,  and 
evangelist  and  overseer  of  the  whole  surrounding  country, 
and  come  home  to  recruit  his  health  and  strength  for 
future  usefulness,  leaving  Mrs.  Schneider  (who  had  lately 
returned  from  the  United  States)  as  she  hoped,  to  supply, 
in  some  measure,  his  unavoidable  lack  of  service  ; but,  as 
the  event  proved,  to  die,  after  a few  months,  in  the  ab- 
sence of  her  husband,  and  in  the  midst  of  missionary  ex- 
ertions, appropriate  to  her  sex,  and  entitling  her  to  a place 
in  the  history  of  missions  among  the  “ honorable  women” 
whose  names  are  recorded  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles. 
Dr.  Schneider  has  recently  returned  to  the  field  of  his 
former  labors ; and  Dr.  Pratt  has  removed  to  Aleppo. 

The  history  of  this  station  is  full  of  interest  — full,  also, 
of  instruction  and  reproof  to  the  churches,  whose  scanty 
contributions  of  men  and  money  have  been  honored  as  the 
means  of  its  establishment.  In  the  autumn  of  1847,  Dr. 
Smith  arrived  to  take  the  place  of  Mr.  Johnston,  who  had 
been  stoned  by  the  people  and  ordered  away  by  the  gov- 
ernment ; and  being  a physician,  and  the  cholera  begin- 
ning to  prevail,  he  was  enabled  to  hold  his  ground.  In 
less  than  five  years  from  that  time  the  Protestant  commu- 
nity had  become  what  Dr.  Lobdell  found  it,  with  a church 
of  nearly  a hundred  members,  and  a congregation  of  six 


AN  ArOSTOLIC  CIIURCII. 


123 


hundred.  And  in  the  five  years  that  have  since  elapsed, 
it  lias  advanced  with  a steady  and  uninterrupted  progress, 
till  it  has  doubled  in  numbers  and  resources,  and  more  than 
doubled  its  influence  in  the  city  and  the  country  around. 
The  new  house  of  worship,  to  which  Dr.  Lobdell  alludes, 
was  dedicated  on  the  first  Sabbath  of  the  year,  a building 
of  stone,  with  alternate  layers  of  white  and  black,  eighty- 
two  feet  by  fifty-nine,  with  a gallery  on  three  sides,  and 
capable  of  seating  fifteen  hundred  persons,  it  was  the  first 
church  of  the  Protestant  community,  built  under  a firman 
in  the  Turkish  Empire.  The  church  is  even  more  remarka- 
ble for  its  graces  than  for  its  numbers.  Five  of  its  members 
have  been  trained  in  the  little  theological  school  under 
the  instruction  of  Dr.  Schneider,  for  the  ministerial  office, 
and  it  was  his  last  delightful  work  before  leaving  the 
mission  to  ordain  them  as  pastors  over  Protestant  churches; 
while  a score  of  preaching  members,  like  the  lay  preachers 
of  the  first  church  at  Jerusalem,  go  “ every  where  preach- 
ing the  word.”  And  the  whole  church,  and  indeed,  the 
whole  Protestant  community  is,  what  every  church  ought 
to  be,  a Temperance  Society,  an  Industrial  Society,  an 
Honesty  and  Veracity  Society,  a Society  for  promoting 
Christian  knowledge  and  Christian  morals;  and  a Society 
for  propagating  the  pure  Gospel.  To  be  a Protestant  at 
Aintab  is,  of  course,  to  be,  in  fact  and  by  the  acknowledg- 
ment of  Mohammedans  and  nominal  Christians , a tem- 
perate, industrious,  honest,  truthful  man ; in  other  words, 
so  far  forth  a real  Christian,  and  not  only  a Christian  him- 
self, but  so  zealous  to  make  others  real  Christians  that  he 
is  a virtual  missionary,  whatever  may  be  his  occupation 
and  wherever  his  lot  may  be  cast.  What  would  be 
thought  in  this  country  of  four  or  five  hundred  persons 
attending  an  ordinary  monthly  concert,  and  large  au- 
diences lingering  about  the  preacher,  hanging  on  his  lips 
and  almost  compelling  him  to  continue  preaching  till  past 
midnight,  and  even  till  the  morning  dawn ! Truly  apos- 
tolic scenes  have  been  often  witnessed  there,  and  as  one 


124 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


reads  the  story  in  the  letters,  or  hears  it  from  the  lips  of 
the  missionaries,  he  feels  as  if  he  were  reading  in  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles,  or  hearing  from  the  apostles  themselves, 
the  wonderful  results  which  God  has  wrought  through 
their  instrumentality.  Christianity  has  not  lost  its  power. 
Were  so-called  Protestant  Christian  churches  every 
where  such,  were  they  all  such  in  our  beloved  land,  the 
evangelization  of  the  world  would  not  long  be  delayed. 

In  a letter  to  his  father,  Dr.  Lobdell  makes  the  power 
of  the  gospel,  as  displayed  in  the  transformation  and  eleva- 
tion of  the  Protestants  at  Aintab  — in  their  industry,  tem- 
perance and  frugality,  as  well  as  in  their  intelligence,  piety 
and  benevolence  — the  basis  of  the  following  argument 
and  appeal  in  behalf  of  the  divine  origin  of  Christianity . 
“ To  what  can  all  this  be  attributed  but  to  the  spirit  of 
Christ,  which  they  have  received  within  a few  years  past  ? 
Oh,  let  us  not  refuse  to  see  the  proof,  that  the  Bible  is 
divine,  that  Jesus  is  the  Redeemer  of  men,  that  both  the 
Bible  and  the  Spirit  of  God  are  necessary  to  the  regener- 
ation and  salvation  of  the  world.  My  dear  father,  I would 
rather  hear  that  you  pray  morning  and  night  with  your 
family  with  the  earnestness  of  these  poor  Christians,  than 
to  know  that  you  are  making  a fortune  in  gold  to  the 
neglect  of  your  duty  to  God!  I rejoice  in  your  temporal 
prosperity , I pray  that  it  may  be  still  greater : but,  after 
all,  I do  feel  that  this  is  comparatively  unimportant,  and 
I can  say  with  the  Apostle,  whom  Christ  especially  loved, 
‘ I wish  above  all  things,  that  thou  mayest  prosper,  and  be 
in  health  even  as  thy  soul  prosper eth? 

“ If  I have  spoken  of  trials,  you  must  not  think  that 
either  Lucy  or  myself  would  be  willing  to  return  to  Amer- 
ica. We  love  the  missionary  Avork  more,  the  more  we  see 
of  its  utility.  It  is  a self-denying,  but  not  an  unprofitable 
calling.  We  are  growing  stronger  in  faith,  and  feel  will- 
ing to  trust  to  our  hea\rcnly  Father  our  souls  and  our 
lives.  Whatever  be  our  lot,  avc  feel  confident,  that  God 
approves  our  course,  and  are  at  rest.” 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


Aintab  to  Mosul  — View  from  the  hill  — Fences  — Pollat  Avedis  — Fountain 
of  Aleppo  Water  — Moslem  Prayers  — Sleeping  in  a Tent  — Illustrations  of 
Scripture  — Crossing  a River  — Native  Helper  at  Nisib — Crossing  the  Eu- 
phrates — Detention  — Asdour  — Bir  — Enlightened  Turkey  — W oman  — The 
Dragoman  Zenope  — Desert  Plain  — Abraham  — Dipper  — Orion  — Khan  of 
the  Four  Kings  — Sabbath  there  — A Pastoral  Country  — Oorfa—  Lurchiz 
Avedis  — Abraham’s  Cave  — The  Protestant  Community  — Appeal  for  a Mis- 
sionary— Severek  — Birth-place  of  Judas  Iscariot  — The  “ Black  Mountain” 
— No  Forests  in  Turkey — Thunder  Storm  — Late  arrival  at  Diarbekr  — 
Gates  closed  — Key  obtained  by  Mr  Dunmore  — Diarbekr  — Situation  — His- 
tory — View  from  the  hill  across  the  River — Stoned  by  the  Moslems — Prom- 
ising Missionary  Station  — Departure  — Voyage  down  the  Tigris  — Boat  of 
Skins  — Scenery  — Arrival  at  Mosul. 


A fatiguing  journey,  by  land,  of  nine  days  still  lay 
before  our  weary  travelers  ere  they  should  reach  the  wa- 
ters of  the  Tigris  at  Diarbekr.  But  their  route  lay  across 
Northern  Mesopotamia ; two  days  would  bring  them  to 
the  banks  of  the  Euphrates,  two  more  to  Oorfa,  the  “Ur 
of  the  Chaldees,”  and  the  birth-place  of  Abraham;  and 
every  day,  while  it  carried  them  over  lands  trodden  by 
the  feet  of  patriarchs,  and  still  pastured  by  flocks  and 
herds  in  primitive  style,  would  bring  them  nearer,  not 
only  to  their  own  future  home,  but  to  the  cradle  of  human 
history.  lienee  though  the  days  were  to  be  long,  and  the 
fatigue  and  exposure  great  — though  they  expected  to  be, 
as  they  were,  day  after  day,  ten,  twelve  and  thirteen  hours 
in  the  saddle  — yet  they  set  out  with  more  of  hope  and 
joy  than  of  fear,  on  this  part  of  their  journey.  The  taJcht - 
trci-wan , which  Mrs.  Lobdell  had  relinquished  for  the  sad- 
dle from  Aleppo  to  Aintab,  in  the  present  state  of  her 
11* 


126 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


health,  was  necessarily  resumed  ; and  Dr.  Lobdell  himself 
was  sometimes  so  overcome  with  fatigue,  as  to  be  obliged 
to  seek  in  it  temporary  rest,  Mrs.  Lobdell  meanwhile  taking 
his  place  on  the  back  of  the  mule.  His  journals  and  let- 
ters on  this  route  are  unusually  full.  One,  who  should 
read  them  thoroughly,  would  be  quite  familiar,  not  only 
with  all  the  incidents  of  the  journey,  but  with  the  phys- 
ical, social,  and  moral  aspects  of  the  country.  The  follow- 
ing extracts  are  chiefly  such  as  illustrate  the  present  con- 
dition of  the  country,  the  character  and  habits  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  the  progress  and  prospects  of  the  missionary 
enterprise. 

“ It  cost  us  some  tears  to  bid  adieu  to  our  kind  mis- 
sionary and  native  friends  in  Aintab ; and  as,  on  the  14th 
of  April,  we  wound  our  way  out  of  the  city  through  a 
crowd  of  Turks  who  took  some  pleasure  in  insulting  us. 
I felt  that  the  triumph  of  the  gospel  is  not  complete,  even 
in  that  favored  field  of  missionary  effort.  Mr.  Crane 
walked  out  with  Lucy  — an  abominable  procedure  in  the 
eyes  of  those  who  consider  woman  nothing  but  a slave  ; 
Stephen  carried  little  Mary  ; I rode  Mr.  Schneider’s  horse, 
having  a red  girdle  about  my  loins,  and  a white  turban 
round  my  tarboosh  ; while  a band  of  Protestants  followed 
to  do  us  honor.  We  found  the  takht-tra-wan  at  the  east 
end  of  the  town,  near  the  extremity  of  the  great  ‘city  of 
the  dead  ; ’ and  after  it  was  loaded  and  adieus  were  said, 
we  proceeded  on  our  way.  Mr.  Crane  wished  to  go  with 
us  to  Diarbekr ; but  the  demand  for  laborers  is  so  great  at 
his  station,  that  he  could  only  accompany  us  a short  dis- 
tance. Pollat  Avedis,  a native  preacher,  a giant  in  theol- 
ogy and  a dove  in  gentleness,  with  a young  Armenian, 
also  rode  out  with  us.  We  galloped  on,  Zenope,  my  drag- 
oman, (a  very  agreeable  graduate  of  the  Bebek  Seminary, 
who  speaks  English  remarkably  well  and  understands 
practical  chemistry  better  than  any  college  graduate  I ever 
met),  and  Stephen  keeping  near  the  takht  to  protect  its 


DEPARTURE  FROM  A IN  TAB. 


127 


inmates  from  harm.  We  rode  to  the  top  of  a hill  south- 
east of  the  city,  and  had  a fine  view  of  the  plain  and  the 
moving  companies  upon  it.  A village  lay  south  of  us  on 
one  of  the  roads  to  Aleppo,  past  which  Dr.  Bacon  came. 
You  may  recollect  he  said,  the  prospect,  as  he  came  in  sight 
of  Aintab,  was  one  of  the  finest  he  ever  saw.  It  is  a charac- 
teristic of  these  countries,  that  all  the  fine  valleys  are  sur- 
rounded by  barren  hills,  which  throw  a cheerless  gloom  over 
what  would  otherwise  be  some  of  the  fairest  fields  of  nature. 
W e busied  ourselves  in  examining  the  geological  character 
of  the  region,  and  in  enjoying  4 the  shadow  of  a great  rock 
in  a weary  land,’  while  the  rest  of  the  company  went 
around  the  hill.  We  then  rode  down  into  the  valley, 
taking  a view  of  a narrow  ravine,  which  the  water  had 
worn  out  from  the  lime-stone  rock,  and  for  myself  casting 
a last  glance  upon  the  minarets  and  light-brown  houses 
of  Aintab.  A stream  of  considerable  size  winds  through 
the  valley,  turning  a mill  and  watering  the  fine  meadows 
and  trees.  Tall,  slim  poplars  were  planted  close  together, 
and  formed  quite  a beautiful  fence  around  the  well-tilled 
and  productive  lots.  Here,  almost  for  the  first  time  since 
I came  into  the  country,  I have  seen  the  division  of  land 
by  fences.  Even  here,  the  fence  is  raised  for  its  intrinsic 
value ; for  as  soon  as  these  trees  get  to  be  five  or  six  inches 
in  diameter,  they  are  felled  and  employed  as  sleepers  to 
support  the  mud  roofs  of  houses.  Peach  and  apricot  trees 
were  loaded  with  rich  pink  blossoms,  and  gave  evidence 
of  the  budding  propensities  of  spring. 

“ Pollat  propounded  various  questions  of  a theological 
character,  and  we  passed  the  time  very  agreeably  in  dis- 
cussing them.  I was  surprised  at  the  acuteness  and 
clearness  of  his  mind.  He  was  once  a thorough  infidel, 
but  thought  out  his  way  into  a pure  Christianity.  Such 
a man  will  not  be  weak-minded.  He  has  endured  great 
persecution ; but  it  has  been  a purifying  furnace,  and  now 
his  faith  glows  all  the  brighter  for  the  trial. 


128 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


“ After  riding  about  two  hours  and  a half,  we  came  to 
a bubbling  fountain,  which,  after  running  about  seventy 
miles,  supplies  the  people  of  Aleppo  with  water.  I took 
a drink  from  it,  and  noticed  near  by  a Moslem  repeating 
his  howlings  and  his  prayers.  Soon  one  of  our  train  fol- 
lowed his  example,  keeping  his  eye  turned  towards  the 
Prophet’s  land,  instead  of  heaven.” 

That  night,  they  slept,  for  the  first  time,  in  a tent,  “with 
fez  and  coat  on,”  and  wrapt  in  thick  quilts  and  blankets 
to  protect  them  against  the  chilly  night  air.  They  met, 
of  course,  as  travelers  in  the  East  always  do,  with  fre- 
quent illustrations  of  Scriptural  facts  and  images — such  as 
shepherds  leading  their  flocks,  as  the  Lord  leads  his  peo- 
ple; carrying  the  lambs  in  their  bosom , as  the  Good 
Shepherd  carries  the  young  and  the  feeble  of  his  fold ; 
and  separating  the  sheep  from  the  goats,  as  the  Judge 
will  separate  the  righteous  from  the  wicked  in  the  day  of 
judgment ; women  watering  the  flocks  at  the  wells,  like 
Rebekah  and  Rachel,  and  carrying  water  m their  pitchers 
into  the  city ; men  following  the  plow  with  an  ox-goad 
ten  feet  long,  pointed  with  iron,  and  as  good  as  a lance 
or  spear,  wherewith  Shamgar  might  well  slay  six  hundred 
men;  and  roads,  if  roads  they  may  be  called,  not  en- 
closed by  fences  but  running  in  an  indefinite  number  of 
separate  tracks  through  the  plowed  fields,  so  that  the 
“ sower  as  he  went  forth  to  sow,”  could  not  but  scatter 
more  or  less  of  his  seed  on  these  beaten  and  barren 
tracks. 

“At  1 P.  M.  Ave  crossed  a large  river  by  a roof-like 
bridge  — a work  indicative  of  ancient  enterprise.  A wo- 
man was  carring  two  kids  in  her  bosom  across  the  bridge, 
and  the  mules  stood  hesitating  whether  to  step  upon  it, 
or  stem  the  flood.  Some  chose  one  way,  some  the  other. 
It  was  rather  interesting  to  see  our  bundles  of  bedding 
dipped  in  the  stream!  We  had  them  covered  with  oiled- 
cloth  and  put  in  a painted  bag,  so  as  to  endure  the  wind 
and  weather.” 


TIIE  EUPHRATES. 


m 


“ Our  native  brother,  who  is  trying  to  teach  the  in- 
habitants of  Nisib  the  truth  of  the  gospel,  came  out  to 
see  us,  and  accompanied  us  some  distance.  It  is  gratify- 
ing to  see  how  anxious  our  native  brethren  are  to  make 
known  the  riches  of  the  gospel  to  their  countrymen. 
They  ask  only  the  means  of  living,  and  they  will  go  any- 
where to  preach  the  word.  At  first,  they  were  called 
vagabonds,  and  were  often  imprisoned  as  such ; but  now 
that  they  go  with  the  tools  of  their  trade,  or  as  mer- 
chants, into  the  towns  about  Aintab  and  even  through  all 
Asia  Minor,  they  have  a right  to  civil  protection.  They 
generally  take  a room  in  a khan,  and  work,  sell,  talk,  and 
pray.  Thus  the  truth  spreads.  Paul  worked  as  a tent- 
maker,  and  his  humble  imitators  emulate  his  invaluable 
example.  Nisib  presents  quite  a neat  exterior,  but  it  is 
said  to  bear  marks  of  poverty  and  shame  within.  It  has 
mosks  enough  to  make  it  a little  pandemonium.” 

They  reached  the  western  bank  of  the  Euphrates,  over 
against  Bir,  (or  Bir-i-Jik,)  just  as  the  last  ark  for  the  day 
was  ready  to  start  for  the  other  side.  “ It  could  take 
nothing  but  our  persons ; and  preferring  to  sleep  in  our 
tent,  rather  than  separate  from  our  baggage,  we  concluded 
to  show  our  tezkerehs  (passports,)  and  pitch  near  the 
lazaretto.  Not  a particle  of  food  could  be  got  but  that 
we  carried  with  us,  and  before  we  could  get  that  in  an 
eatable  condition,  it  commenced  raining,  and  the  clouds 
threw  quite  a shadow  over  the  bright  expectations  I had 
cherished  about  the  paradisiacal  Euphrates.  We  had  rode 
eleven  hours  that  day,  and  the  last  three  under  a burning 
sun,  which  not  even  my  white-covered  umbrella  and  huge 
turban  could  resist. 

“16th.  We  were  thankful  for  a pleasant  sleep,  and 
resigned  to  the  rains  of  the  morning.  But  when  we 
learned  that  no  boats  would  be  over  that  forenoon,  we 
were  a little  disquieted. 

“ I gathered  some  pebbles  from  the  sacred  stream,  and 


130 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


got  well  wet  in  the  operation.  I hope  you  will  prize 
them  for  the  difficulty  I had  in  collecting  them,  if  for  no 
other  reason.  Much  to  my  surprise  I found  all  my  boxes 
from  Aleppo  had  been  undergoing  a ten  days’  quarantine 
here.  Our  iron  bedstead  is  left  behind.  Well,  we  can 
sleep  on  the  floor  for  a while,  if  need  be.  That  is  a small 
inconvenience  in  this  country. 

“ If  I had  not  felt  that  the  delay  was  not  owing  to  .my 
own  negligence,  I should  have  been  ill  at  ease,  for  it  was 
a fine  day  to  travel,  and  I knew  the  hot  season  would 
not  tarry  for  us.  But  I cast  a thought  towards  Con- 
necticut, and  succeeded  in  making  Lucy  with  myself  feel 
that  we  were  doing  acceptable  service  even  by  delay.  I 
had  time  to  draw  Bir,  which  lies  like  another  Gibraltar, 
frowning  over  the  waters. 

“ About  three  P.  M.  we  were  greeted  with  the  sight  of 
twelve  boats  drawn  by  a hundred  nearly  naked  men  — 
the  boats  some  twenty-five  feet  long,  with  flat  bow,  sharp 
stern,  and  an  immense  rudder,  and  the  men  ten  or  a dozen 
to  each  boat  to  draw  it  up  the  stream,  and  then  two  to 
see  that  it  is  pushed  into  the  current  and  steered  slant- 
ingly down  to  the  landing-place  ; it  was  the  most  original 
method  of  navigation  I had  yet  seen.  A number  of 
camels  had  just  arrived,  and  we  were  obliged  to  hurry  up 
our  muleteers  to  get  in  advance  of  them.  Just  as  we 
were  ready  to  embark,  we  were  agreeably  surprised  to 
see  another  native  brother  by  the  name  of  Asdour,  who 
had  taken  quarters  at  a khan  on  the  other  side,  that 
he  might  preach  the  pure  gospel  to  the  inhabitants  of 
Bir.  He  offered  the  boatmen  a present  if  they  would 
take  our  party  over  first.  They  consented,  though  it  ap- 
peared by  their  remarks  about  their  happy  disappoint- 
ment when  he  gave  them  ten  piastres,  that  they  had  little 
confidence  in  his  truthfulness.  Their  surprise  was  over 
when  they  learned  that  he  was  a Protestant  — another 
name  for  a temperate,  virtuous,  and  honorable  man. 


A NATIVE  TEACHER. 


131 


“We  of  course  found  no  distinction  between  cabin  and 
deck  passengers ; travelers,  muleteers,  boatmen,  horses  and 
mules  were  huddled  confusedly  together.  But  the  sail  was 
short.  A great  crowd  stood  around  the  custom-house, 
as  we  came  to  land,  and  it  was  with  some  difficulty  Lucy 
reached  the  takht.  She  was  suddenly  shut  up  there,  as  it 
was  dangerous  for  her  to  go  through  the  streets  unveiled 
and  walking  by  the  side  of  a man!  This  is  that  en- 
lightened Turkey,  of  which  you  hear  so  much  of  late. 

“ Our  baggage  was  taken  to  a cave,  and  we  went  to 
Asdour’s  room  in  the  khan ; where,  after  putting  up  our 
beds,  and  then  taking  a walk  about  the  town,  our  brother 
and  host  prayed  with  us  in  Turkish,  and  he,  our  drago- 
man, and  ourselves,  lay  down  and  slept,  all  within  the 
compass  of  one  small  room. 

“ In  the  morning,  our  brother  Asdour  accompanied  us 
on  foot  about  two  miles,  anxious  to  do  us  honor,  and  to 
receive  words  of  encouragement  in  his  work.  He  has  yet 
had  but  little  success  in  convincing  the  people  of  the 
truth.  But  one’s  faith  must  not  waver,  if  he  does  see  but 
little  fruit.  The  plant  he  fosters  and  the  seed  he  sows 
may  nourish  another  generation  and  bring  forth  c an 
hundred  fold.’ 

“We  at  length  separated.  I took  a last  view  of  the 
city  and  the  gardens,  and  felt  that  I should  probably  see 
the  Euphrates  no  more.  There  were  no  willows,  or  I 
should  have  imitated  the  captives  of  Babylon,  and  sat 
down  to  weep  over  the  strange  desolation  before  me. 

“ A troop  of  men,  women  and  children  passed  us  on 
their  way  to  Aleppo.  They  presented  a curious  spectacle, 
the  women  wearing  immense  turbans,  and  carrying  their 
children  before  them  on  little  donkeys,  while  the  men 
on  horses,  alone,  gave  them  neither  sympathy  nor  aid. 
Woman  here  has  no  advocate. 

“ Pretty  soon  we  saw  a man  plowing  with  a team  com- 
posed of  a donkey  and  a steer.  I smiled,  whereupon  our 


132 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


young  guards  informed  the  company,  that  this  man  was 
very  poor,  and  therefore  obliged  to  harness  together  these 
animals  of  so  different  a nature.  I took  occasion  to  dilate 
to  Zenope  on  the  glories  of  America.  He  is  a man  of 
fine  talents,  and  came  to  Aintab  to  teach,  though  he 
knew  his  compensation  was  to  be  but  ten  dollars  a month, 
and  though  he  had  a prospect  of  rising  to  affluence,  if  he 
would  engage  in  a selfish  pursuit  of  gain.  He  chose  to 
be  poor,  that  he  might  be  Christ-like.  Glorious  choioe 
for  thee,  my  brother ! May  God  give  thee  c a crown  of 
life.’  I know  no  young  man  in  America,  of  finer  talents 
or  a better  heart.  And  when  he  told  me  his  wages  just 
enabled  him  to  pay  his  board  and  get  his  clothing,  and 
that  he  was  unable  to  purchase  books,  I was  affected  to 
tears  ! He  reads  English,  and  I have  rejoiced  to  give  him 
some  leaves  of  knowledge.  It  is  well  that  treasure  can 
be  laid  up  in  heaven. 

“I  noticed  several  familiar  flowers  as  we  rode  along,  but 
very  many  unknown  ones.  Every  thing  here  wears  a new 
aspect. 

“ A thunder  storm  obliged  us  to  put  on  our  rubber  coats, 
and  it  was  sunset  when  it  cleared  away.  On  and  on  we 
rode  over  an  immense  plain,  covered  with  grass  and  sand. 
I had  time  to  think  of  the  friends  across  the  sea,  and  muse 
ujion  the  wanderings  of  the  patriarchs.  It  was  a consola- 
tion to  believe  that  Abraham  once  drove  his  flocks  across 
that  wide  expanse.  We  saw  only  a few  clusters  of  mud- 
huts,  looking  like  stacks  of  hay,  before  darkness  rendered 
observation  impossible.  One  by  one  the  stars  came  out, 
and  I was  glad  to  see  the  Dipper  hanging  round  the  pole, 
just  as  I used  to  see  it  in  my  native  land.  Orion,  too, 
with  his  shining  zone,  assured  me  that  I was  still  on  terra 
firma . I trust  I was  accepted  in  my  renewed  consecra- 
tion and  prayers  to  God.  The  desert  plain  was  like  a 
boundless  ocean  then ; it  symbolized  infinity.  I could 


A SABBATII  IN  MESOPOTAMIA.  133 

discern  the  horizon,  and  the  guard  ahead  ; but  little  more. 
That  was  a silent  evening  — a time  for  holy  thought.  I 
feared  to  go  far  from  the  takht-tra-wan , and  was  glad  to 
sec  that  Lucy  and  Mary  were  sleeping  in  it,  unconscious 
of  the  weariness  that  was  settling  down  heavily  upon  me, 
after  twelve  hours’  riding  on  horseback. 

“ AV e dismounted  at  nine  P.  M.  at  the  gate  of  the  great 
Khan,  three  hundred  feet  square,  built  by  four  kings,  as  a 
meritorious  deed  whereby  to  purchase  heaven,  and  hence 
known  and  noted  through  all  these  parts  as  the  Charmelek 
Khan . Ko  human  being  lives  there.  It  is  simply  a place 
to  accommodate  mules  and  muleteers  on  their  way  across 
the  country.  W e could  not  endure  the  dust  and  noise  and 
filth  of  the  building,  and,  having  ascertained  that  there 
was  no  alternative,  we  iJitched  our  tent  in  the  inner  court, 
and  having  taken  tea,  lay  down  to  rest  just  as  my  watch 
ticked  the  hour  of  midnight.” 

The  next  day  was  the  Sabbath;  and  they  rested  accord- 
ing to  the  commandment.  Kear  by  was  a well  with  sixty 
steps  down  to  the  water.  Opposite  was  a mosk,  with 
the  unusual  number  of  six  minarets.  In  the  neighbor- 
hood, several  hundred  mud  stacks , or  holloio  cones , were 
arranged  into  a sort  of  city,  already  deserted  for  the  sum- 
mer — they  were  the  winter  abode  of  wandering  Arabs. 
All  around  spread  those  plains  of  Mesopotamia,  on  which 
Abraham  had  pastured  his  flocks,  and  where  — perhaps, 
on  the  Sabbath  — the  God  of  glory  appeared  to  him,  and 
called  him  to  the  promised  land.  And  now  one  of  his 
promised  seed,  from  a continent  then  unknown,  gathers 
his  little  family  and  his  few  servants  about  him,  reads  the 
story  of  the  patriarchs  in  the  seventh  chapter  of  the  Acts, 
comments  upon  it,  doubtless  with  some  reference  to  his 
own  call  and  wanderings,  and  then  lifts  up  his  heart  in 
prayer  to  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  not  for 
himself  only,  but  for  the  land  from  which  the  Father  of 
12 


134 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


the  Faithful  went  out,  and  which  his  believing  children 
would  now  reclaim  for  a spiritual  inheritance. 

The  next  day,  (Monday,  April  19,)  they  rose  at  three 
in  the  morning,  and  rode  on,  the  greater  part  of  the  day, 
through  a singularly  romantic  country,  whose  wells  and 
cisterns  and  herds  and  flocks,  sometimes  very  large,  with 
their  male  and  female  keepers,  constantly  reminded  them 
of  the  patriarchal  age,  and  whose  whole  aspect  convinced 
them,  that  this  had  ever  been  — as  it  is  represented  to  have 
been  in  that  oldest  and  truest  of  ancient  histories,  the 
book  of  Genesis  • — a pastoral  land. 

“ At  eleven  o’clock,  twelve  men  on  fine  steeds,  and  armed 
to  the  teeth,  appeared  at  a turn  on  the  road,  and,  for  a 
moment,  my  ears  stood  straight,  and  even  my  long  hair 
began  to  rise.  How  it  gratified  us  to  learn  that  they 
were  government  officials.  After  about  a month,  as  we 
learned  from  our  guards,  it  will  be  very  dangerous  to  pass 
along  that  route.  Indeed,  none  who  understand  the  dan- 
ger, will  travel  it  then.  The  peasants  will  retire  from  the 
territory  as  soon  as  the  heat  begins  to  dry  up  the  verdure, 
and  then  the  Aneezees  will  take  possession.  They  are  fero- 
cious, and  spare  nobody  that  fails  into  their  power.  Two 
years  ago,  the  Mutsellim  (local  governor)  of  Bir  was 
stripped  right  there,  and  sent  on  his  way  quite  empty 
and  naked. 

“ At  length,  the  remains  of  an  old  Roman  road  assured 
us  that  we  were  approaching  the  famed  Edessa .*  In  one 
place  the  rock  was  excavated  for  the  road,  and  the  steep 
descent  towards  the  northeast  was  rendered  quite  passa- 
ble by  art.  The  sun’s  rays,  reflected  from  the  white  rocks, 
were  quite  annoying ; but  we  were  consoled  by  looking 
down  upon  the  fertile  jflain  of  Oorfa  a few  miles  beyond. 

“ At  two  P.  M.,  the  tombs  north  of  the  town  came  in 
sight,  and  the  first  view  of  the  city  was  cheerless  ; I was 

* Oorfa,  the  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  is  supposed  to  have  heen  the  Edessa  of  the 
Romans. 


UR  OF  THE  CHALDEES. 


135 


glad  to  see  a company  of  the  people  of  Oorfa  seated  at  the 
mouth  of  the  caves  in  the  suburbs,  and  a few  urchins  play- 
ing ball.  This  indicated  some  degree  of  civilization.  We 
soon  reached  the  road,  which,  by  turning  south,  conducted 
to  the  city.  Zenope  rode  ahead  to  find  us  lodgings,  and. 
our  train  waited  in  the  hot  sun  about  an  hour  for  his 
return.  Our  Protestant  brother,  Lurchiz  Avedis,  invited 
us  to  spend  the  night  with  him,  and  we  proceeded  to  fol- 
low him.  I was  urged  to  take  off  my  white  4 California  ’ 
and  put  on  a tarboosh,  as  Jdie  fanaticism  of  the  natives  in 
that  quarter  is  proverbial.  I rode  into  the  city,  carrying 
Mary,  while  Lucy  walked  with  Zenope.  It  would  not  do 
for  her  to  ride.  We  entered  the  south-west  gate,  and  my 
eye  most  unexpectedly  fell  upon  a beautiful  grove,  a crys- 
tal stream,  and  many  marks  of  enterprise.  A high  castle 
was  on  the  right,  and  two  tall  Corinthian  columns  stood 
upon  its  summit,  where  a certain  Nimrod  is  fabled  to  have 
suspended  malefactors ! 

“The  bazaars  appeared  to  furnish  all  the  necessaries  of 
life  — a consideration  of  much  importance  in  reference  to 
its  occupation  by  missionaries  from  America.  The  cus- 
tom house  is  quite  a respectable  building.  W e noticed, 
also,  a large  square  tower,  and  a mosk  formerly  occu- 
pied as  a Christian  Church.  But  the  chief  object  of  inter- 
est in  Oorfa  is  Abraham’s  Cave.  There  is  no  good  reason 
to  doubt  that  the  patriarch  was  born  very  near  it.  A 
mosk  has  been  erected  over  the  spring  that  bubbles  in 
the  cave,  of  whose  clear,  cool  water  I had  a taste,  and 
which  supplies  sacred  water  for  the  sacred  fish,  that  are 
domesticated  in  the  stream  below.  It  was  amusing  to 
see  these  fish,  which  no  one  is  allowed  to  catch,  jump 
over  each  other,  as  we  threw  a few  crumbs  into  the 
water. 

“ Our  Protestant  brethren  were  alike  ready  to  do  us 
service,  and  to  ask  us  questions.  They  requested  my 
interference  in  some  ecclesiastical  difficulties,  and  I went 


136 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


with  them  to  the  Pasha  to  secure  the  official  acknowl- 
edgment of  one  of  their  number,  as  their  legal  head. 
They  wanted  me  to  address  them  as  they  gathered  in  a 
circle  round  me  after  tea,  which  I did  through  Zenope. 
I had  quite  a discussion  with  an  Armenian  of  the  Old 
Church,  and  hope  I was  instrumental  in  animating  the 
faith  of  the  persecuted  ones.” 

The  following  extract  from  a letter  to  Dr,  Anderson 
will  present  this  interesting  place  and  people  in  their  mis- 
sionary aspect : “We  spent  a vpry  pleasant  night  in  Oorfa. 
The  late  head  of  the  Armenian  community  was  formally 
acknowledged  by  the  Pasha,  when  we  came  before  him, 
as  the  head  of  the  Protestants.  The  Pasha  had  not 
before  heard  of  their  firman,  a sufficient  commentary  on 
the  mode  of  legislation,  and  the  amount  of  general  infor- 
mation in  the  Turkish  Empire.  I addressed  fifteen  of  the 
brethren  through  an  interpreter,  and  commended  them  to 
God  — sheep  with  only  Christ  as  Shepherd.  It  was  deeply 
affecting  to  see  the  tears  fall  from  4 eyes  unused  to  weep,’ 
as  we  separated  the  next  morning.  A few  of  them  accom- 
panied us  some  miles  from  the  city,  and  besought  me  to 
use  my  influence  to  procure  them  an  American  mission- 
ary. What  can  I do  ? Few  places  in  this  part  of  the 
empire  have  so  many  attractions  as  Oorfa.  It  is  beauti- 
fully situated  on  the  west  side  of  a fertile  plain ; and, 
though  it  is  Edessa  fallen,  it  retains  many  marks  of  its  an- 
cient greatness.  Abundant  reasons  offer  for  its  imme- 
diate occupation.  I drank  from  the  spring  in  the  cave, 
where  Abraham  is  said  to  have  been  born,  and  should 
have  been  glad  to  end  my  wanderings  there.  In  the 
name  of  the  persecuted  Protestants  of  Oorfa,  I beg  you 
to  send  them  a missionary.” 

Persecution  afterwards  scattered  this  little  flock,  and 
drove  most  of  them  to  Aintab.  But  they  have  returned, 
and  now  rejoice  in  the  presence  of  44  an  American  Mission- 
ary,” who  is  not  only  the  spiritual  guide  of  the  Protestant 


SEVERER. 


137 


community,  but  labors  in  hope  that  the  little  leaven  will 
yet  leaven  the  thirty  thousand  inhabitants  of  Oorfa,  and 
the  thousands  more  who  dwell  in  the  surrounding  Pashalic. 
Mr.  Nutting,  formerly  of  Aintab,  now  enjoys  the  high 
privilege  of  preaching  and  teaching,  where  God  “ preached 
before  the  gospel  to  Abraham,”  and  where  one  of  the 
most  famous  of  the  theological  schools  of  the  early  Chris- 
tian Church  trained  up  ministers  and  missionaries  for  all 
the  East. 

We  must  hurry  over  the  remaining  journey  of  four 
days  from  Oorfa  to  Diarbekr.  The  only  important  place 
is  Severek,  which  lies  half  way  between,  and  where  the 
second  night  after  leaving  Oorfa,  they  pitched  their  tent 
on  a fine  grass  plot  without  the  city,  “ A number  of 
officials  called  on  us ; and  soon  after  my  return  from  a 
visit  to  the  bazaars,  the  Mutsellim,  or  governor  of  the 
place,  invited  us  to  dine  with  him.  This  we  declined  as 
politely  as  possible,  knowing  that  the  less  one  has  to  do 
with  such  persons,  the  better.  The  higher  in  office  a man 
rises  in  these  parts,  as  a general  rule,  the  deeper  does  he 
plunge  in  iniquity.  The  town  is  built  of  dark  volcanic  stone, 
and  the  rough  pavements  are  very  inconvenient  for  foot 
passengers.  The  streets  are,  of  course,  narrow  and  dirty. 
We  purchased  a few  nuts  and  raisins,  and  were  just  pass- 
ing outside  of  the  Avail  near  the  castle-crowned  hill,  Avhen 
Ave  Avere  credibly  informed,  that  in  a certain  garden  of 
the  city,  were  to  be  seen  some  memorials  of  Judas 
Iscariot , that  SeArerek  Avas  his  birth-place,  that  he  Avent 
to  Jerusalem,  learned  something  about  Christ  and  his 
neAV  doctrines,  returned,  and  by  mistake  married  his 
mother  in  the  place  iioav  occupied  by  this  garden,  dis- 
covered his  error,  Avent  back  to  Jerusalem,  betrayed 
Christ  and  hung  himself!  Not  having  any  particular 
admiration  for  his  character,  I did  not  feel  very  anxious 
to  pay  my  respects  to  his  memory.  The  Avretched  ap- 
pearance of  the  toAvn  might  perhaps  lend  some  plausibility 
12  * 


188 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


to  the  belief  that  it  was  cursed  for  being  the  scene  of 
his  nativity.” 

The  next  morning  they  were  up  to  breakfast  before 
two,  and  on  their  way  soon  after  four,  Dr.  Lobdell  leading 
the  van  through  the  rocks  and  mud  with  a lantern.  Their 
object  was  twofold,  to  get  on  as  far  as  possible  before  the 
sun  was  up  with  a burning  heat,  and  also  to  reach  the 
summit  of  the  Karccjah  Dagh  or  Black  Mountain  before 
night-fall.  “ This  Karajah  Dagh  is  the  terror  of  all  trav- 
elers in  Mesopotamia.  We  were  forced  to  make  quite 
an  acute  angle  to  reach  a convenient  pass.  We  hoped 
we  were  late  enough  in  the  season  to  cross  it  comfortably. 
It  is  a region  of  extinct  volcanic  fires,  every  rock  told  its 
Plutonic  history,  lizards  and  poor  Koords  diversified  the 
scenery.  At  eleven  A.  M.  we  descended  a hill  and  dined 
by  a rippling  stream.  When  the  proper  time  arrived  to 
start  again,  I could  not  rouse  the  muleteers,  so  I .took 
Mary  on  my  horse,  and  rode  ahead.  The  appearance  of 
a hundred  horsemen  defiling  through  the  pass,  and  guard- 
ing as  many  unarmed  and  handcuffed  convicts,  engrossed 
their  attention  and  detained  them  still  longer,  but  they  at 
length  got  started.  Then  began  the  mud ; and  the  clouds 
threatened  rain.  W e wished  to  get  near  the  summit  of 
the  mountain  if  possible.  The  heat  of  the  sun  contended 
with  the  cold  air  of  the  mountain  for  supremacy.  , W e 
suffered  from  both.  The  rain  troubled  us  a little,  and  we 
feared  the  consequences.  The  grass  was  the  finest  we 
had  seen.  At  three  P.  M.  we  came  to  a fine  camping 
ground  occupied  by  a troup  of  mules  Avith  loads  of  soap. 
We  had  previously  met  a string  of  ninety  camels,  each 
having  two  huge  bags  of  gall  nuts  on  their  way  to  Aleppo. 
Several  of  them  were  hairless.  Sometimes  the  owners 
pull  off  the  hair  that  it  may  grow  out  uniform  ; but  I be- 
lieve, they  generally  shed  it  every  year.  It  was  hardly 
possible  for  our  taJcht  to  get  through  the  mud.  A few 
weeks  earlier,  it  could  not  have  been  got  over  the  moun- 


KARAJAII  DAG II. 


139 


tain.  The  animals,  even  now,  would  often  sink  half  buried 
in  the  mud.  About  sunset  we  came  to  a bifurcation  in 
the  path  — one  track  leading  to  a little  village  some  three 
miles  off  our  course,  the  other  going  straight  over  the 
mountain.  We  took  the  direct  route,  and  encamped  near 
a ruined  Khan.  Before  our  tent  was  up,  the  rain  came  in 
torrents.  We  pinned  up  the  folds  of  the  tent,  and  by 
means  of  stakes  braced  it  against  the  wind,  and  made  ar- 
rangements for  all  our  party  to  get  within.  The  poor 
muleteers  deserved  no  better  fate  than  to  sleep  exposed 
to  the  wind  and  weather.  A small  encampment  was  near, 
but  we  felt  that  we  were  alone.  My  thoughts  were  home- 
ward and  heavenward.  I slept  soundly,  and  the  morning 
found  us  in  a comfortable  state  to  resume  our  journey. 

“ The  ground  was  black,  and  hence  the  name  of  the 
mountain.  The  air  was  cold,  the  snow  lay  around  us, 
and  we  were  an  hour  reaching  the  table-land  on  the 
summit.  This  was  crowned  with  oaks,  that  looked  like 
apple-trees,  and  I thought  of  the  storm-swept  hills  of 
America.  There  are  no  forests  in  Turkey.  Trees  are  a 
luxury  that  my  countrymen  little  prize,  because  they  do 
not  know  their  loss. 

“We  crossed  the  little  table-land,  and  having  ascended 
a very  difficult  steep,  soon  came  in  sight  of  the  plain  and 
the  clouds  through  which  the  Tigris  was  winding.  I 
never  saw  more  fleecy  vapors  ; they  shut  out  of  sight  the 
city  of  our  destination,  but  portended  a cool  journey 
through  the  day.  Down  we  went.  The  descent  was  very 
difficult  — mules  fell  now  and  then  — but  it  was  pleasant. 
We  took  strong  puffs  of  the  cool  air,  thinking  that  we 
were  soon  to  feel  the  grateful  influence  of  a mountain 
atmosphere  no  more.  We  dined  at  the  base  of  the 
mountain.” 

There  again  the  tardiness  of  the  muleteers  delayed 
them  a long  time,  in  consequence  of  which  they  were  ex- 
posed to  a fearful  thunder-storm,  and  were  in  imminent 


140 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


danger  of  being  shut  out  of  the  city  over  night.  Drenched 
and  cold,  Dr.  Lobdell  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and  rode  on 
to  overtake  the  advance  guard,  consisting  of  the  chief 
muleteer  and  a native  brother  who  was  traveling  with 
them,  and  then  to  the  gate  of  the  city  to  make  arrange- 
ments for  the  reception  of  the  whole  party.  “ I found 
that  plain  very  long.  After  I had  overtaken  Aposh,  the 
city  seemed  to  be  an  hour  distant ; I found  it  was  two. 
The  walls  loomed  up  black  and  grand,  and  the  turrets  and 
minarets,  surmounted  with  floating  clouds,  gave  promise 

of  no  ordinary  city We  went  up  quite  an  ascent  — 

but  it  was  still  far,  very  far,  I thought,  to  the  city.  The 
sun  was  about  to  go  down  — we  had  scarcely  seen  it  all 
day  — when  we  rode  past  the  Moslem  burying-ground, 
and  approached  the  massive  gate  that  let  us  into  the  well- 
walled  city.  We  hurried  to  Mr.  Dunmore’s  house,  and 
before  I could  go  in,  he  told  me  the  gates  would  shut  out 
Lucy,  if  we  did  not  hurry  back  at  once.  W e hurried  back, 
but  they  were  already  bolted.  Mr.  Dunmore  started  for 
the  military  Pasha’s  house  to  see  if  he  could  get  the  key. 
I was  almost  pulled  from  my  horse  by  a soldier,  while 
waiting  alone.*  I was  wet,  and  felt  almost  certain  Lucy 
would  have  to  stay  out  in  the  damp,  chilly  air  all  night. 
I thought  of  the  sinners  who  find  the  gate  of  the  celes- 
tial city  closed.  I could  only  pray ; my  anxiety  kept  me 
from  suffering  by  the  dampness  and  cold.  At  length  I 
heard  a noise  at  the  outer  gate.  I called,  and  got  a re- 
sponse from  Zenope.  I told  the  jDarty  to  wait  there ; and 
fortunately  Mr.  Dunmore  soon  arrived  with  the  key.  He 
told  me  he  had  got  it  only  after  much  difficulty,  and  even 
then  by  stating  I was  an  English  Hakeem,  or  physician. 
I need  not  say  I was  rejoiced  to  see  our  party,  funeral- 

* So  the  first  American  missionaries,  who  entered  Damascus,  were  obliged  to 
dismount.  Koords  — heathen  — may  ride  through  the  streets,  but  not  Christian 
dogs.  Such  is  Moslem  hatred  of  Christianity,  where  it  can  manifest  itself  with- 
out fear  or  restraint. 


DIARBEKR. 


141 


like,  move  through  the  streets  of  Diarbekr.  I heeded  not 
the  streams  that  poured  from  the  roofs  into  the  narrow 
streets.  We  had  a hearty  welcome  from  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dunmore,  and  having  changed  our  clothes,  and  taken  tea, 
it  was  sweet  to  retire  to  our  quiet  rest  beneath  the  roof 
of  a countryman  and  Christian  brother.” 

Diarbekr,  Mosul  and  Baghdad  are  the  three  principal 
cities  on  the  Tigris,  each  a walled  town  of  about  forty 
thousand  inhabitants,  and  situated  at  intervals  of  nearly 
three  hundred  miles  from  each  other ; the  first  toward 
the  source  of  the  river,  the  last  some  two  hundred  miles 
from  its  mouth,  and  the  other  about  midway  between 
them.  Diarbekr  and  Baghdad  are  situated  at  points 
where  the  Tigris  and  the  Euphrates  approach  most  nearly 
together,  and  Mosul  at  a point  where  the  two  rivers  are 
most  widely  separated.  Diarbekr  stands  near  a bend  in 
the  Tigris,  where  it  approaches  nearest  to,  or  rather  is 
least  distant  from,  the  Mediterranean.  It  is  for  this 
reason  chiefly,  that  the  missionaries  and  other  travelers 
to  Mosul  take  a course  so  much  to  the  north  of  the 
direct  route;  they  strike  for  the  nearest  point  on  the  Tigris, 
and  then  it  is  comparatively  easy  to  float  down  the  river 
in  its  first  easterly,  and  then  southerly,  course.  This 
general  situation  has  doubtless  conspired  with  the  natural 
advantages  of  its  immediate  site  — the  sweep  of  the 
river  by  which  it  is  encircled,  and  the  noble  plain  which 
spreads  around  it  — to  make  it,  what  it  has  been  from 
time  immemorial,  an  important  city.  It  is  the  Amida  of 
the  Romans  ; its  massive  lava  walls,  of  surpassing  height 
and  solidity,  crowned  with  seventy-two  towers,  were 
built  by  the  Emperor  Constantius ; and  its  great  mosk, 
magnificent  even  in  its  ruins,  was  reared  for  a church, 
and  after  being  burned,  rebuilt  by  order  of  his  imperial 
successors.  It  once  contained  tv-o  hundred  thousand  in- 
habitants. As  one  of  the  two  stations  of  the  Assyrian 
mission,  it  was  an  object  of  special  interest  to  Dr.  Lob- 


142 


MEMOIR  OE  LOBDELL. 


dell ; and,  during  a stay  of  ten  days,  he  had  ample  oppor- 
tunity to  look  about  the  city,  as  well  as  to  become 
acquainted  with  the  character  of  the  inhabitants. 

It  was  on  the  23d  of  April  that  he  arrived.  On  the 
24th,  he  “ walked  about  the  town,  examined  the  venerable 
walls,  and  the  gardens  and  groves  beyond  ; went  through 
the  bazaars  ; was  saluted  with  the  cry  of  c Prote ! Prote  /’ 
called  to  see  the  sick  wife  of  Hohannes,  formerly  a fierce 
| persecutor,  but  now  himself  a persecuted  man  ; examined 
several  diseased  women  and  children ; pitied  the  native 
quacks,  who  terribly  lacerate  for  supposed  diseases ; and 
went  home  with  the  conviction  that  the  town  is  a ren- 
dezvous for  fanatics,  scamps  and  Koords,  and  a miserable 
home  for  the  Jacobites,  Chaldeans  and  Armenians,  who 
dwell  within  its  massive  walls.” 

“ The  25th  was  Sunday.  The  Protestants  met  at  sunrise 
to  pray  and  read.  At  eleven  A.M.  was  preaching,  as  also 
at  four  P.  M.  I addressed  them  in  the  afternoon  through 
Zenope,  after  which  a young  persecuted  brother  preached. 
Though  not  a member  of  the  church,  he  seemed  to  speak 
from  the  fullness  of  his  soul,  of  the  power  of  the  gospel  ” 

The  ensuing  week  he  spent  m visiting  the  sick,  con- 
versing with  the  native  Christians,  surveying  the  antiqui- 
ties, the  paved  road,  the  bridge  of  ten  arches,  and  the 
old  Roman  walls,  and  exploring  the  city  and  the  sur- 
rounding country.  The  view  of  the  city,  with  its  minarets 
and  domes  and  walls  and  bastions,  from  a hill  across  the 
Tigris  — in  Koordistan  — answered  to  his  youthful  im- 
agination of  an  Oriental  city,  rising  like  a rocky  citadel 
out  of  the  broad  plain — like  a turreted  and  castle-crowned 
island  out  of  a sea  of  tropical  verdure — girt  around  by  a 
magnificent  sweep  of  the  Tigris,  enclosed  by  rugged  hills 
and  snow-clad  mountains,  which,  though  distant,  seemed 
like  Nature’s  own  impregnable  fortifications  thrown 
around  it;  and  all  this  glittering  and  flashing  in  the  cjpud- 
less  and  dazzling  sunshine  of  the  Orient.  But  as  he  re- 


DIARBEKR. 


143 


turned  through  the  neglected  burial  grounds  which  lie 
outside  of  the  gates  of  this,  like  other  Mohammedan 
cities,  and  looked  on  the  falling  and  decaying  monuments, 
and  saw  the  very  walls  of  the  city  crumbling  and  dis- 
solving, he  was  led  to  reflect  on  the  perishable  nature  of 
all  human  works. 

“ I could  not  help  asking  myself  how  long  it  will  be  be- 
fore not  a single  monument  now  standing  over  the  dead 
in  America  will  bear  any  memorial  of  the  dust  beneath. 
There  is  no  immortality  but  that  of  thought  and  right- 
eousness. The  thinker  lives  forever;  and  so  does  the 
work  and  memory  of  the  benevolent  and  good.  Let  me 
be  a Henry  Martyn  rather  than  a Napoleon  or  Alexander.” 

A letter  to  Dr.  Anderson,  written  from  Mosul,  will  sup- 
ply all  that  need  be  added  of  Dr.  Lobdell’s  personal  expe- 
rience at  Diarbekr,  as  well  as  his  observations  of  the 
missionary  work  there  : — “As  I remained  there  about 
ten  days,  I had  an  opportunity  to  see  the  nature  and 
extent  of  the  work  in  that  place.  It  is  deep,  wide-spread, 
encouraging ; indeed,  it  is  more  so  than  in  any  place  I 
have  yet  seen  in  the  East,  with  the  single  exception  of 
Aintab.  The  cleanliness  and  enterprise  of  the  Protestants 
are  very  noticeable.  The  audience  that  gathers  to  hear 
the  native  helpers  from  Aintab,  varies  from  sixty  to 
ninety.  It  was  with  great  pleasure  I spoke  to  them, 
through  an  interpreter,  of  the  instrumentality  of  gospel 
truth  in  fitting  souls  for  heaven.  The  very  novelty  of 
the  circumstances  increased  the  interest.  The  women 
looked  through  a window  from  an  upper  room ; and  the 
men,  seated  in  Oriental  style  upon  the  straw-woven 
mats,  seemed  anxious  to  catch  every  thought.  They 
have  suffered  severe  persecution,  but  it  has  done  more  for 
the  cause  than  indifference  would.  That  for  which  a man 
will  give  up  friends  and  a livelihood,  which  will  enable  him 
to  meet  the  jeers  and  blows  of  enemies  with  a joy  like 
the  martyrs,  must  have  a divine  significance  and  power. 


144 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


It  will  excite  inquiry  and  a desire  for  conformity  to  the 
claims  of  truth.  The  brethren  in  Diarbekr  have  been  sub- 
jected to  great  trials,  of  which  it  is  not  my  purpose  or 
province  to  speak. 

“ A few  circumstances  of  a personal  nature  may  be 
worthy  of  statement.  I never  went  into  the  streets  with- 
out being  saluted  with  the  cry  of  6 Prote,’  and  seldom 
without  receiving  a shower  of  missiles.  Several  times, 
while  walking  for  exercise  with  Mr.  Dunmore,  on  the  roof 
of  his  house,  I was  hit  by  stones  flung  from  the  roofs  of 
adjacent  buildings.  The  women  screeched  and  threw 
dirt ; the  boys  hurled  stones  and  brick-bats ; while  the 
husbands  and  fathers  stood  by  cheering  them  on  in  their 
diabolical  work.  The  Saturday  before  I left,  we  happened 
to  be  walking  through  the  open  court  of  a mosk,  and 
stopped  to  look  at  the  tall  Corinthian  columns  of  marble 
raised  around  it  by  ancient  Christian  hands.  A crowd  of 
forty  or  fifty  gathered  round  us,  and  though  all  classes  of 
the  citizens  pass  daily  through  the  court,  we  were  foreign- 
ers and  Protestants,  and  it  was  a good  time  for  the 
Moslems  to  wreak  their  vengeance.  They  at  first  attacked 
me,  but  when  they  saw  I would  offer  no  resistance,  they 
fell  upon  Mr.  Dunmore  ; he  tried  to  parry  their  blows 
with  his  cane,  but  was  seized  by  the  throat,  and  I feared 
he  would  be  strangled.  It  would  have  been  madness  for 
me  to  rush  to  his  assistance  ; I tried  to  pass  quietly  away, 
but  a part  of  them  turned  upon  me,  seized  and  hurled 
away  my  hat,  and,  though  now  in  the  open  street,  we 
both  felt  that  it  was  quite  uncertain  whether  we  should 
escape  alive.  They  at  length  began  to  throw  stones  ; one 
of  two  pounds’  weight  hit  my  side,  and  I picked  it  up  as 
a witness  against  the  offenders.  The  missiles  came  so 
thick,  and  the  mob  was  so  fierce,  that  we  were  obliged  to 
run  with  all  our  might.  We  found  temporary  safety  in 
the  bazaars,  and  soon  after  effected  our  escape  to  Mr. 
Dunmore’s  house.  We  were  thankful  for  deliverance 


RAPT  OF  SKINS. 


145 


from  such  a death,  but  we  deemed  it  expedient  to  make  a 
complaint  to  the  Pasha ; we  were  refused  redress,  and 
were  even  told  by  the  Pasha  that  he  did  not  believe  a 
word  we  said  ! Such  is  justice  and  toleration  in  Diarbekr. 
We  left  him,  not  doubting  that  our  representation  of  the 
facts  to  the  American  Embassador  at  Constantinople  will 
secure  his  removal.  The  Moslems  even  call  him  a beast. 
Both  Mr.  Rassam,  of  Mosul,  and  Colonel  Rawlinson,  of 
Baghdad,  have  written  to  Sir  Stratford  Canning  to  pro- 
cure the  appointment  of  an  English  Consul  to  reside 
there. 

“ It  is  to  be  hoped  you  will  send  Mr.  Dunmore  an  asso- 
ciate soon ; the  labor  and  excitement  at  his  station  are  too 
great  for  the  powers  of  one  man,  especially  while  unfamil- 
iar with  the  language.  A judicious  adviser  would  be  able 
to  render  brother  Dunmore  much  assistance,  even  though 
fresh  from  America.  Both  Mr.  Williams  and  myself  are 
anxious  you  should  not  long  allow  him  to  endure  the  trial 
alone.  I am  confident  that,  when  a favorably  disposed 
Pasha  and  a broad-minded  assistant  missionary  reach 
Diarbekr,  the  station  will  assume  an  interest  inferior  to 
few  under  the  care  of  the  Board.” 

Persecution  continued  to  rage  at  Diarbekr  for  years,  but 
the  progress  of  the  church  and  the  Protestant  community 
there  has  fully  justified  the  expectations  of  Dr.  Lobdell. 

After  many  vexatious  delays,  occasioned  chiefly  by  the 
dishonesty  of  the  Moslems,  who  at  first  constructed  their 
raft  of  rotten  skins,  and,  when  compelled  to  re-construct, 
still  left  it  without  any  suitable  floors  — after  all  these  dif- 
ficulties had  been  adjusted  by  repeated  visits  to  the  river, 
in  which  they  became  so  familiar  with  Moslem  insult  and 
abuse  that  it  excited  only  thankfulness  for  their  own  per- 
secutions, and  prayer  for  the  forgiveness  of  their  enemies 
— all  was  at  length  in  readiness  for  their  departure. 

“ Besides  Mr  Dunmore,  a number  of  our  native  brethren 
accompanied  us  to  the  river,  and  among  them  three  who 
13 


146 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


had  just  come  to  the  city  from  a distant  village  to  procure 
some  one  to  teach  them  true  Christianity.  It  is  deeply 
affecting  to  see  the  interest  which  many  in  this  country 
are  now  manifesting  in  the  study  of  the  Bible,  particularly 
in  regard  to  the  errors  of  the  Armenian,  Jacobite,  and 
Syrian  churches.  It  is  a just  occasion  of  sorrow  that  the 
stations  of  our  Missionary  Board  are  unable  to  attend  to 
the  wants  of  all  the  villages  around  them  ” 

The  raft,  which  had  been  constructed  expressly  for  this 
voyage,  and  was  to  be  taken  to  pieces  as  soon  as  it  reached 
its  destination,  consisted  of  a hundred  and  twenty  goat 
skins,  inflated,  tied  side  by  side  and  end  to  end  to  a rec- 
tangular frame-work  of  large  poles,  and  overlaid  by  succes- 
sive layers  of  smaller  ones,  and  these  last,  for  the  special 
accommodation  of  Frank  voyagers,  were  covered  with  a 
plank  floor.  About  one  half  of  the  space  was  occupied 
by  their  tent,  which,  being  permanently  pitched,  formed 
an  awning  over  their  heads,  and  a separate  cabin  for  their 
own  accommodation.  “By  placing  a row  of  trunks,  a 
couple  of  chairs,  and  a few  boxes  around  our  beds,  we 
have  quite  a cozy  apartment.  To  be  sure,  the  chairs  are 
mounted  upon  the  trunks,  and  we  are  obliged  to  sit  on 
the  beds,  but  what  of  that  ? It  is  a palace  worthy  of  a 
king.  The  bow,  or  part  which  usually  goes  forward,  is 
inhabited  by  two  Koords,  who  ply  a couple  of  rough  oars, 
to  the  extremity  of  which  are  fastened  a dozen  slats  of 
wood  at  right  angles,  while  the  center  rests  and  turns 
round  upon  a pivot  on  a platform,  to  which  they  are 
attached  by  a split  in  the  oar  some  eighteen  inches  in 
length ! Stephen,  two  Protestant  Syrians,  and  the  wife 
and  two  children  of  one  of  them,  with  their  goods,  occupy 
the  remainder  of  the  raft.  They  are  going  to  reside  in 
Mosul.  I hired  the  whole  heleh , and  they  pay  a small 
part  of  the  expense.  One  of  them  has  been  in  the  army, 
and  he  is  not  afraid  of  all  the  Arabs  in  the  land.  He  has 
two  or  three  long  pistols,  a dagger  and  a sword,  and  it 


VOYAGE  DOWN  TIIE  TIGKIS. 


147 


would  require  a pretty  stout  heart  to  meet  him,  standing, 
as  he  does,  withal,  nearly  six  and  a half  feet  high ; he  is  a 
resolute-looking  man,  and  yet  he  is  a mild  fellow  in  a calm, 
and  also  a good  Protestant  brother.  He  left  his  family  at 
Diarbekr.  His  brother,  a pleasant  man,  was  in  considera- 
ble trouble  before  he  started,  for  the  Pasha  would  not  give 
his  wife  a tezkereh  — a passport  or  permit  to  leave  the  city. 
Fortunately  for  him,  his  wife  was  a woman  of  true  courage ; 
she  came  to  Mrs.  Dunmore,  and  wanted  to  give  her  the 
eldest  child,  and  declared  she  would  go  without  permission. 
She  had  a plausible,  legal  excuse,  since  she  was  a native 
of  Mosul.  It  is  the  policy  of  the  Pashas,  particularly  in 
this  part  of  Turkey,  to  be  careful  about  losing  the  inhab- 
itants, and  consequently  some  part  of  the  taxes,  of  their 
pashalics.  I am  very  sure  that  few  persons,  of  any  enter- 
prise or  probity,  would  remain  long  in  Diarbekr,  if  they 
could  get  permission  to  emigrate.  Not  long  since  nearly 
a hundred  Protestants  went  to  the  Pasha,  in  a body,  and 
told  him  that  they  wished  to  go  to  a place  where  they 
might  have  protection.  They  were  refused  permission. 
Their  only  hope  of  a redress  of  grievances  lies  in  the  ap- 
pointment of  a new  Pasha,  or  of  an  English  Consul  to 
reside  there.” 

All  are  now  “ aboard,”  — not  excepting  the  heroine  who 
had  to  go  without  a passport ; — a tender  and  affectionate 
leave  is  taken  of  the  resident  missionary  and  the  perse- 
cuted native  brethren  and  sisters ; the  raft  is  unmoored 
and  pulled  into  the  swift-flowing  stream ; they  drift 
through  one  of  the  arches  of  the  great  Saracenic  bridge, 
and  away  they  glide  down  the  arrowy  Tigris.  We  can  not 
follow  them  from  day  to  day,  as  they  float  down  the  swollen 
flood  of  this  Oriental  Tiber  — this  greater  Pactolus,  “ yel- 
low not  with  gold  but  with  mud,”  now  between  banks 
enameled  with  flowers  of  every  hue,  now  by  sand-banks 
alive  with  swallows,  and  now  past  bluffs  and  highlands 
rivaling  in  grandeur  those  of  the  Hudson ; we  can  not 


148 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


render  the  Koordish  songs  with  which  they  were  enter- 
tained by  the  boatmen,  or  paint  the  soft  moonlight,  or  the 
beautiful  sunrise,  with  which  their  eyes  were  delighted ; 
still  less  daguerreotype  the  moving  panorama  of  mounds 
and  meadows,  of  mud  villages  and  rock-hewn  caves,  of 
men  and  beasts  and  inanimate  things,  which  Dr.  Lob- 
dell’s  quick  eye  observed  and  his  ready  hand  jotted 
down  in  notes  too  brief  to  be  fully  understood  by  any 
one  but  himself,  but  which,  had  not  his  too  busy  and 
short  life  forbidden,  he  would,  some  time,  have  expanded 
into  a full  and  life-like  picture  of  the  Arrowy  River,*  and 
the  country  through  which  it  flows. 

“We  were  only  four  days  and  a half  in  going  down, 
and  we  stopped  every  night  on  the  river’s  bank  to  sleep. 
W e had  some  fears  for  our  safety ; but  God  mercifully 
watched  over  us.  The  fierce  Shammar  tribe  of  Arabs,  we 
have  since  learned,  were  within  a short  distance  of  us  the 
day  before  we  reached  Mosul ; but  we  escaped  their  bloody 
hands.  The  Arabs,  who  did  swim  out  upon  their  skins,  and 
the  Koords  — armed  to  the  teeth  upon  the  shore  — were 
unable  to  touch  us,  as  the  river  was  unusually  high  and 
alike  swift.  We  had  just  fear  enough  to  make  the  trip 
interesting.  I do  not  remember  ever  having  enjoyed  four 
successive  days  so  much  as  I did  those  on  the  river.  The 
scenery  is  grand,  equaling  that  of  the  far-famed  Hudson. 
It  might  not  wear  as  well,  but  it  is  unique  and  Avonderful. 

“ I need  hardly  say,  that  we  received  a hearty  welcome 
from  Mr.  Williams  and  his  family,  as  well  as  from  the 
native  brethren.  Mr.  Marsh  had  been  absent  about  three 
months.  They  seemed  to  mourn  his  absence,  and  glad 
to  welcome  me  and  my  medicines  as  a partial  substitute. 
Thus  ended  my  long  journey.  I hope  that  I have  not 
come  hither  in  vain.  Pray  that  my  faith  may  not  waver, 


* Such  is  the  meaning  of  the  names  hy  which  the  river  is  known  in  the  sev- 
eral languages  of  the  East. 


ARRIVAL  AT  MOSUL. 


149 


find  hope  with  me,  that  the  clouds,  now  hanging  over  the 
Christians  of  Mosul,  may  soon  pass  away.  God  grant 
that  neither  ill  health  nor  ill  success  may  ever  force  me 
to  lay  my  bones  in  America.  I love  my  country ; but  I 
love  the  heathen  and  the  deluded  followers  of  the  Fathers 
more.  I wish  that  hundreds  of  my  young  Christian  breth- 
ren would  remember  these  souls,  dead  and  buried  in  tres- 
passes and  sins,  and  come  to  preach  to  them  the  Resur- 
rection and  the  Life.” 


13  * 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Mosul —Situation  — Description  — Site  of  Nineveh  — Nebbi  Yoonus,  Nimrood, 
&c. — Fulfillment  of  Prophecy  — Al-Kosh,  and  Nahum  the  El-Koshite  — River 
Chebar,  and  Ezekiel  — Babylon  — Ezekiel’s  Tomb  — Tomb  of  Daniel  — Shu- 
shan  the  Palace  — Heaps  of  Ruins  — The  inhabitants  a sadder  ruin  — Ruined 
Churches  — The  Nestorians  — The  Jacobites — The  Armenians  — All  admit 
the  authority  of  the  Scriptures  — Inroads  of  the  Papists  — Providential  Pre- 
paration for  the  Missionaries  — The  Malabar  Priest — The  mill-wright  Micha 
— Trials  of  the  early  Missionaries  — Death  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mitchell,  Mr. 
Hinsdale,  Mrs.  Laurie,  and  Dr.  Grant  — Puseyite  influence  — Mr.  Badger  — 
Temporary  Suspension  of  the  Mission  — Arrival  of  Mr.  Marsh  — Of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Williams. 


Mosul  is  perhaps  a modified  form  of  Mespila  — the 
name  by  which  Xenophon  knew  the  site  of  ancient  Nine- 
veh. The  city  of  Mosul  is  on  the  west  side  of  the  Tigris, 
some  five  hundred  miles  from  its  mouth,  and  nearly  as 
many  from  its  source.  The  dark  and  massive  walls,  the 
substantial  stone  houses  with  vaulted  and  terraced  roofs, 
the  handsome  mosks,  cafes,  khans,  and  bazaars,  bear  a 
favorable  comparison  with  other  Oriental  cities ; but,  like 
almost  every  other  city  of  Turkey  or  Persia,  and  as  the 
natural  consequence  of  the  government  and  the  religion, 
Mosul  is  in  a declining  state,  its  best  buildings  crumbling 
into  ruins,  the  population  reduced  to  half  its  former  num- 
ber, two-thirds  of  the  space  unoccupied  with  houses,  and 
more  than  two-thirds  without  inhabitants.  Trade  and 
manufactures  are  in  a like  depressed  condition,  the  former 
being  confined  chiefly  to  the  carrying  trade  on  the  river, 
and  the  latter  consisting  of  little  besides  leather  and  cotton, 
particularly  muslins , which  are  said  to  have  derived  their 
name  from  Mosul.  The  river,  which  is  three  hundred 
feet  wide  and  fifty  feet*  deep  at  the  narrowest  .point,  in  a 
high  flood  spreads  out  to  a mile  in  width,  thus  going  over 


SITE  OF  ANCIENT  NINEVEH. 


151 


its  banks,  and  inundating  more  or  less  of  the  surrounding 
country.  It  is  ordinarily  crossed  by  a bridge  of  boats, 
but  when  the  water  is  high,  this  lies  useless  by  the  west- 
ern bank,  and  they  pass  over  by  a ferry.  The  abutments 
of  a massive  stone  bridge  still  remain,  which,  like  the 
walls  of  Mosul  itself,  was  built  of  materials  taken  from  the 
ruins  of  Nineveh. 

Opposite  Mosul,  about  three-fourths  of  a mile  from  the 
river,  is  a small  village,  Nunia , which  bears  up  the  name 
of  ancient  Nineveh.  A mound  here,  crowned  by  a 
mosk-covered  tomb,  is  called  Nebbi  Yoonus,  and  is  vene- 
rated alike  by  Mohammedans,  Jews,  and  Christians,  as 
the  tomb  of  the  prophet  Jonah.  Another,  of  still  larger 
dimensions,  and  approaching  two  hundred  feet  in  height 
at  the  highest  part,  rises  out  of  the  plain  a short  distance 
north  ; it  has  become  familiar  to  those  interested  in  As- 
syrian antiquities  under  the  name  of  Koyunjik.  Similar 
mounds,  or  hills,  cover  the  plain  in  every  direction.  A 
space  about  four  miles  in  circuit  is  surrounded  by  a ditch 
and  a moss-grown  wall,  about  twenty  feet  high,  — a j^art, 
doubtless,  of  the  walls  of  Nineveh. 

Six  hours  below  Mosul,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river,  a 
still  more  remarkable  mound,  or  pyramid,  is  found,  with 
traces  of  a wall  enclosing  a circuit  of  four  or  five  miles. 
This,  from  the  mighty  hunter  of  the  primitive  age,  bears  the 
name  of  Nimrood,  and  is  well  known  to  all  who  have  seen 
Assyrian  sculptures  in  the  United  States,  as  the  source 
from  which  those  sculptures  came.  Koyunjik  and  Nim- 
rood,  together  with  Karamless  and  Khorsabad,  similar 
and  scarcely  less  interesting  mounds,  mark  the  corners  of 
a parallelogram,  or  trapezium,  some  sixty  miles  in  circuit, 
which  was  probably  once'  covered  with  the  streets  and 
bazaars,  the  private  and  public  edifices,  and  the  palaces, 
gardens  and  parks  of  Nineveh  — that  “ exceeding  great 
city  of  three  days’  journey,”  and  containing,  at  the  least 
calculation,  more  than  half  a million  of  inhabitants,  upon 


152 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


which  the  prophet  Jonah  was  commissioned  to  denounce 
the  judgments  of  heaven.  The  coincidence  in  dimensions 
is  somewhat  striking,  — three  days’  journey  in  the  East 
being  just  about  sixty  miles.  This  agrees  also  with  the 
extent  assigned  to  “ Nineveh  the  Great  ” by  profane 
authors.  But  when  they  go  further,  and  represent  the 
city  as  being  surrounded  in  this  whole  vast  circumference 
by  lofty  and  solid  walls,  they  state  what  is  no  where  af- 
firmed in  the  sacred  records,  and  what  seems  to  be  con- 
tradicted by  modern  observation,  since  no  trace  of  so 
extensive  a wall  can  any  where  be  discovered.  These 
mounds  are  perpetual  monuments  at  once  of  the  doom  of 
wicked  nations  and  of  the  truth  of  Scripture  history  and 
prophecy.  They  contain  the  palaces  of  the  Assyrian 
monarchs,  on  whose  walls  of  gypsum  and  alabaster  heathen 
artists  recorded  the  histories  of  their  heathen  masters,  and 
sculptured  the  images  of  their  false  gods ; but  the  servants 
of  the  one  living  and  true  God  in  these  latter  days  find 
in  them  a running  commentary  on  his  written  word  — 
dead  yet  speaking  witnesses  to  the  truth  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament Scriptures.  They  read  in  those  strange  characters 
the  same  names  of  sovereigns  and  cities,  not  only  of 
Assyria  but  of  Judea  also,  with  which  they  have  become 
familiar  in  sacred  history,  while  they  see  the  fulfillment  of 
prophecy  in  the  utter  ruin  of  those  proud  monuments  of 
ancient  wealth  and  power.  The  peasant  now  drives  his 
plow  over  some  of  these  mounds,  while  others  pasture  the 
flocks  of  the  wild  sons  of  the  desert.  The  language  of 
prophecy  has  now  become  simple  history.  “ Nineveh  is 
a desolation,  dry  like  a wilderness  ; flocks  lie  down  in  the 
midst  of  her,  all  the  beasts  of  the  nations ; both  the  cormo- 
rant and  the  bittern  lodge  in  the  upper  lintels  of  it ; their 
voice  sings  in  the  windows ; desolation  is  in  the  thresh- 
olds.” Travelers  from  distant  lands  — lands  not  in 
existence  when  Nineveh  was  “the  rejoicing  city,  that 
dwelt  carelessly,  that  said  in  her  heart,  I am  and  there  is 


FULFILLMENT  OF  PROPHECY. 


153 


none  beside  me,”  — now  “ pass  by,  and  hiss  and  wag  their 
hand,  and  say,  How  is  she  become  a desolation,  a place 
for  beasts  to  lie  down  in  ! ” Xenophon  passed  over  the 
ground  two  thousand  years  ago,  and  admired  the  ruins,  but 
never  so  much  as  heard  the  name  of  Nineveh.  The  Greeks, 
the  Romans,  the  Parthians,  the  Sassanians,  the  Saracens, 
the  Turks,  have  since  ruled  there,  ignorant  alike  of  those 
buried  palaces  and  of  the  proud  sovereigns  that  built  them, 
and  that  strove  to  perpetuate  their  memories  in  imperish- 
able sculptures  on  the  walls.  Twenty-five  centuries  have 
rolled  away  since  the  Lord  “ stretched  out  his  hand 
against  the  North,  and  destroyed  Assyria,”*  and  now  for 
the  first  time  those  monuments  have  found  an  interpreter. 
The  same  wise  and  prescient  Power,  which  was  treasuring 
up  coal  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth  ages  before  man  was 
placed  upon  it,  to  drive  the  wheels  of  modern  manufac- 
tures and  commerce,  — the  same  wonder-working  Prov- 
idence which  kept  the  new  world  from  the  knowledge 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  old,  till  our  pilgrim  fathers 
were  ready  to  plant  it  with  their  new  principles  and  insti- 
tutions, — buried  these  wonderful  monuments  out  of  sight 
through  all  the  centuries  in  which  they  were  not  needed 
and  could  not  have  been  understood,  and  brought  them 
to  light  to  reward  the  learning  and  to  counteract  the 
skepticism  of  modern  times. 

Thirty-four  miles  north  of  Mosul,  a little  way  up  the 
side  of  one  of  the  mountains  of  Koordistan,  is  the  village 
of  Al-Kosh,  settled  by  a colony  of  Jewish  exiles  in  the 
time  of  the  Babylonish  captivity,  and  now  peopled 
entirely  by  Chaldean  Christians,  where  Nahum  “ the  El - 
Koshite  ” was  born,  and  whither  Jews  and  Christians 
still  go  on  pilgrimage  to  a tomb  that  bears  his  name. 
There,  from  his  mountain  watch-tower,  he  looked  down 
upon  the  lofty  walls  and  magnificent  palaces  of  the  Assy- 


*Zeph.  ii , 13-15. 


154 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


rian  capital,  and  taking  up  “ the  burden  of  Nineveh” 
denounced  upon  the  bloody  city  the  opening  of  her  gates 
to  the  enemy,  the  destruction  by  fire  of  her  gorgeous 
palaces,  and  her  utter  depopulation,  like  the  once  popu- 
lous No  of  Upper  Egypt.* 

About  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles  west  of  Mosul, 
another  band,  or  a succession  of  bands  of  exiles,  trans- 
planted by  Assyrian  and  Babylonian  conquerors  from  the 
mountains  and  valleys  of  Israel,  settled  down  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  Chebar.  There,  too,  the  spirit  of  pro- 
phecy came  upon  one  of  the  captives,  and  he  saw  visions 
of  God  — of  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel,  riding  upon 
the  living  creatures,  and  the  wheels  in  majesty  and  glory 
which  transcended  infinitely  the  utmost  pomp  of  the  Assy- 
rian and  Babylonian  monarchs  with  their  winged  lions 
and  bulls,  the  grand  but  motionless  and  lifeless  symbols 
of  their  idolatry  — Jehovah  riding  forth  at  the  beginning 
of  the  vision,  conquering  and  to  conquer,  as  the  appear- 
ance of  a flash  of  lightning,  and  with  a noise  of  great 
waters,  as  the  noise  of  the  Almighty ; and,  at  the  end  of 
the  vision,  establishing  his  own  kingdom  on  earth,  even 
as  in  heaven,  with  the  New  Jerusalem  for  its  capital,  and 
the  new  temple  for  its  palace,  in  comparison  with  whose 
vast  dimensions  and  magnificent  structure  all  the  temples 
and  palaces  of  Nineveh  and  Babylon,  even  in  their  highest 
glory,  would  dwindle  into  insignificance.  The  prophecy 
of  Ezekiel  still  lives,  and  the  kingdom  of  God  is  marching 
steadily  onward  to  its  final  and  universal  triumph ; but 
the  waters  of  the  river  Chabour  (for  it  still  bears  essen- 
tially its  old  name)  mingling  with  those  of  the  Euphrates, 
have  gone  over  Babylon  like  a “ sea,”  and  turned  the  sur- 
rounding country  into  “pools  of  water  ; ” and  “the  wild 
beasts  of  the  islands  cry  in  their  desolate  houses,  and 
the  dragons  in  their  jdeasant  palaces.”  The  ruined  site  of 


* Nahum,  i.,  1 ; iii. , 7,  8,  13. 


SHUSH AN  THE  PALACE. 


155 


Babylon  is  some  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  south  of 
Mosul,  on  the  Euphrates.  It  has  “become  heaps,  an 
astonishment  and  an  hissing,  without  inhabitant.”  Twelve 
miles  south  of  it  is  a tomb  which  bears  the  name  of  the 
prophet  Ezekiel.  It  is  at  “ the  little  town  of  Keffil,  which, 
from  its  want  of  luxuriant  trees  and  vegetation,  looks 
dull  and  somber  in  the  extreme  — a fitting  place  for  the 
sepulcher  of  a captive  prophet  in  a strange  land.”* 

Some  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  east  of  Babylon, 
near  the  banks  of  a river  which  unites  its  waters  with 
those  of  the  Euphrates  and  the  Tigris  a little  before  they 
empty  themselves  into  the  Persian  Gulf,  is  shown  the 
tomb  of  the  prophet  Daniel,  whose  prophecies,  like  those 
of  Ezekiel,  are  deeply  colored  throughout  with  the  geog- 
raphy and  history,  the  ideas  and  usages,  of  the  city  and 
empire  of  Babylon.  The  place,  though  now  almost  with- 
out inhabitant,  bears  the  name  of  Shush,  and  unquestion- 
ably marks  the  site  of  Shushan  the  palace,  and  of  Susa 
the  rich  and  splendid  winter  capital  of  the  Persians. 
Captain  Loftus  has  recently  laid  bare  the  foundations  and 
fragments  of  the  marble  columns  of  the  palace  which  was 
built  by  Darius,  and  where,  as  he  supposes,  Xerxes,  the 
husband  of  Esther,  and  the  Ahasuerus  of  Scripture,  “ made 
a feast  unto  all  the  people  that  were  in  Shushan  the 
palace,  both  unto  great  and  small,  seven  days  in  the 
court  of  the  garden  of  the  king's  palace,  where  were  white, 
green  and  blue  hangings  fastened  with  cords  of  fine  linen 
and  purple  to  silver  rings  and  pillars  of  marble  ; the  beds 
were  of  gold  and  silver  upon  & pavement  of  red  and  blue 
and  white  and  black  marble.”  f 

Nineveh,  Chebar,  Babylon,  and  Shushan  may  be  taken 
for  the  angles  of  a great  parallelogram,  or  oblong,  some 
four  hundred  miles  in  length,  and  more  than  two  hundred 
in  breadth,  whose  surface  is  more  or  less  thickly  sown 


* Loftus5  Travels  in  Chaldea  and  Susiana. 


t Esther,  i , 5,  6. 


156 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


with  mounds  and  “ heaps,”  Avhich  mark  the  sites  of  ancient 
cities.  Indeed,  the  entire  space  enclosed  between  the  two 
great  rivers,  and  lying  on  their  tributaries  — rivers  more 
than  a thousand  miles  long  and  watering  a valley  two 
hundred  miles  broad  — is  intersected  with  dry  canals,  and 
dotted  with  heaps  of  ruins.  Many  of  these  cities  were 
already  in  ruins  when  the  earliest  Greek  historians  wrote. 
Forsaken  cities  occur  in  Xenophon’s  expedition  through 
Mesopotamia  quite  as  frequently  as  those  that  are  in- 
habited. The  cities  which  Alexander  and  his  successors 
built  out  of  the  ruins  of  older  ones  have  themselves  been 
in  ruins  now  a thousand  years,  and  the  few  remaining 
cities  of  the  Saracens  and  Turks  are  fast  going  to  decay. 

A country  so  abounding  in  antiquities,  and  those  of  the 
oldest  and  grandest  kind  — a country  so  rich  in  sacred 
and  classical  associations  — could  not  but  interest  any 
curious  mind,  especially  any  scholar,  and,  most  of  all,  a 
scholar  from  the  new  world.  Dr.  Lobdell,  as  we  shall 
see  in  the  following  pages,  took  a lively  interest  in  Assy- 
rian antiquities,  walked  repeatedly  through  the  deserted 
23alaces  of  Sennacherib,  Esarhaddon,  and  Sardanapalus, 
visited  the  more  desolate  capital  of  Nebuchadnezzar  and 
Belshazzar,  formed  the  acquaintance  of  several  of  the  Eng- 
lish explorers,  and  corresponded  with  the  OrientaT 
Society,  and  other  scholars  in  his  own  country. 

But  Mesopotamia  has  seen  a sadder  fall  than  that  of 
Babylon  and  Nineveh,  and  is  overspread  with  more 
melancholy  ruins  than  those  heaps  which  cover  ancient 
palaces,  temples,  and  tombs.  The  Euphrates  and  the 
Tigris  were  among  the  rivers  that  watered  Eden ; and 
how  sad  the  fall  of  man  since  he  walked  and  talked 
with  God  in  the  garden  of  primeval  innocence ! The 
human  race  went  out  from  the  ark  of  Noah  to  re-people  a 
world  that  had  been  washed  from  its  pollutions  by  the 
deluge,  and  whether  that  ark  rested  on  the  Armenian 
Ararat,  as  is  commonly  supposed  at  the  West,  or  on 


RUINS. 


157 


Yudi,  a spur  of  the  mountains  of  Koordistan,  according  to 
the  more  common  tradition  of  Mohammedans,  Jews,  and 
Christians  in  the  East,  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  it 
was  in  Northern  Mesopotamia  that  the  post-diluvian 
patriarchs  served  God  in  their  generation.  The  race  was 
already  fallen  and  ruined  by  sin , but  what  a decline  has 
there  been  since  in  physical  health,  strength,  and  lon- 
gevity ; what  degeneracy  in  moral  purity  and  intellectual 
power ; what  mere  wrecks  of  humanity,  scarcely  re- 
taining the  human  form,  scarce  deserving  the  name  of 
human  beings,  now  wander  to  and  fro  between  the  table 
lands  of  Northern  Mesopotamia  and  the  alternate  sands 
and  swamps  of  Assyria,  Babylonia,  Chaldea,  and  Susiana. 

And  then  — saddest  of  all  ruins ! — there  are  the 
wrecks  of  Christian  churches  in  the  cities  and  villages  and 
on  the  -mountains,  like  gallant  ships  stranded  on  the  rocks 
and  islands,  and  strewn  along  the  shore  after  a storm,  or 
like  the  drift  of  human  works  and  human  habitations  that 
is  left  here  and  there  on  the  high  banks,  after  a fearful 
flood  has  swept  over  the  valleys.  The  Christians,  for 
whose  benefit  especially  the  mission  at  Mosul  was  first 
established,  are  the  Nestorians  and  the  Jacobites,  both 
branches  of  the  ancient  and  venerable  Oriental  church, 
but  both  cut  off  in  the  sixth  and  seventh  centuries  from 
the  so-called  Catholic  Church,  for  heresy,  the  former 
because  they  believed  that  Christ  had  two  natures  in  one 
person,  and  the  latter  because  they  believed  that  he  had 
one  nature  in  one  person.  These  were  the  two  extremes  in 
the  great  monophysite  controversy,  which  so  long  agitated 
the  church  and  convulsed  the  Roman  empire.  The 
church  which  claimed  to  be  infallible,  professed  to  stand 
on  some  undefinable  mean  between  them,  but  in  reality 
swung  from  one  extreme  to  the  other,  according  as  the 
one  or  the  other  dogma  gained  the  ascendency  on  the  im- 
perial throne  at  Constantinople.  The  question  was  about 
words  and  names,  or  about  metaphysical  subtleties  too 
14 


158 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


nice  for  the  clear  discernment  even  of  the  sharpest  intel- 
lects. Hence  it  has  long  since  become  obsolete,  not  only 
in  the  Catholic  Church,  but  in  the  churches  whose  extreme 
views  were  the  cause  of  their  excision.  Whether  Christ 
consisted  of  two  distinct  natures,  whether  he  subsisted  in 
two  distinct  natures,  or  whether  the  natures  were  distinct 
only  in  conception  but  not  in  their  actual  existence  — not 
whether  he  was  in  fact  both  God  and  man,  but  how  the 
divinity  was  united  to  the  humanity  — this  was  the  ques- 
tion which  perplexed  councils  and  cabinets,  divided 
churches,  distracted  provinces,  and  even  set  armies  in 
hostile  array  against  each  other  It  is  a dark  chapter  in 
the  history  of  the  church.  It  demonstrates  more  con- 
clusively than  any  amount  of  reasoning,  the  deplorable 
evils  of  a union  of  church  and  state.  It  proves  that  the 
church  in  this  age  was  more  concerned  for  the  form  than 
for  the  substance  of  Christianity  ; that  she  was  more  afraid 
of  the  smallest  constructive  heresy  than  of  the  grossest 
injustice  and  immorality;  that  she  was  more  zealous 
for  the  honor  of  the  Virgin  Mary  than  for  the  worship 
and  service  of  Jesus  Christ ; and  that  the  authority  of  the 
church — in  other  words,  of  the  church  and  state  hie- 
rarchy — was  quite  paramount  to  the  law  of  God.  As  we 
read  this  dark  chapter,  — to  say  nothing  of  subsequent 
darker  chapters  — in  the  history  of  the  church,  we  almost 
cease  to  wonder  at  the  otherwise  mysterious  providence 
of  God  in  permitting  the  rise  of  Mohammedanism.  W e see 
that  the  church  not  only  deserved  such  a scourge,  but 
needed  such  an  iconoclast  to  dash  in  pieces  her  idols,  and 
herself  too,  if  she  would  still  cleave  to  her  idols,  and 
her  sins. 

The  hTestorians  derived  their  name  from  Nestorius,  a 
presbyter  of  the  church  at  Antioch,  who,  “ for  the  rigid 
austerity  of  his  life  and  the  impressive  fervor  of  his 
preaching,”  was  made  patriarch  of  Constantinople  in 
A.  D.  428,  but  was  deposed,  excommunicated,  and  finally 


JACOBITES. 


159 


banished  from  the  empire  because  he  presumed  to  question 
the  propriety  of  calling  Mary  “ the  mother  of  God,”  and 
to  hold  the  damnable  heresy,  since  held  for  substance  by 
all  Protestant  sects,  that  Christ  unites  “two  distinct 
natures  in  one  person  for  ever”  The  Jacobites  are  so 
called  from  Jacob,  a monk  and  presbyter  from  the  district 
of  Nisibis  in  Mesopotamia,  who,  under  the  disguise  of  a 
beggar,  traversed  Syria  and  the  adjacent  provinces,  rallied 
the  believers  in  the  doctrine  of  the  one  nature  of  Christ, 
who  in  their  turn  were  now  persecuted  and  oppressed ; 
“ ordained  clergy  for  them,  gave  them  a superior  in  the 
patriarch  of  Antioch,  and  labored  for  them  himself  during 
a period  of  thirty  years,  until  A.  D.  578,  as  a bishop, 
probably  at  Edessa  This  name  was  never  adopted  by 
all  who  held  the  doctrine,  and  the  Jacobites,  as  a sect, 
have  always  been  chiefly  confined,  as  they  now  are,  to  that 
section  — Mesopotamia — in  which  the  founder  of  the 
sect  lived  and  died. 

But  the  ISTestorians  have  a history,  which  is  one  of  the 
brightest  chapters  in  the  history  of  the  church — a history 
of  missionary  enterprises  which  extended  their  churches 
from  Egypt  to  China,  and  from  north  of  the  Caspian  Sea 
to  the  southern  bounds  of  India,  but  alas ! a history  of 
bloody  and  cruel  persecutions  too,  which  have  extin- 
guished the  last  spark  of  Christianity  in  the  larger  part  of 
this  vast  territory,  and  driven  the  poor  remnants  of  the 
Nestorian  church,  like  hunted  and  stricken  deer,  into  the 
mountains  that  mark  the  confines  of  the  Turkish  and  Per- 
sian empires.  They  have  been  called  “ the  Protestants 
of  the  East”  In  their  palmy  days,  their  theological 
schools  were  in  advance  of  all  others  in  sound  learning  as 
well  as  in  Christian  influence,  and  their  teachers  and 
preachers  were  the  best  expositors  of  the  Scriptures. 


*For  the  origin  of  the  Nestorians  and  Jacobites,  see  Neander,  Vol.  II.,  pp. 
435-557 : History  of  the  doctrine  concerning  the  person  of  Christ. 


160 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


They  have  retained  not  a few  unscriptural  ideas  and 
usages  from  the  corrupt  church  from  which  they  sprung ; 
but  the  three  great  dissenting  branches  of  the  Oriental 
church,  the  Nestorians,  the  Jacobites  and  the  Armenians, 
all  acknowledge  the  Bible  as  the  infallible  rule  of  faith 
and  practice.  This  gives  the  missionaries  of  the  Protes- 
tant Christian  churches  a great  advantage.  They  have  a 
common  standard.  They  may  misinterpret  it  — they 
may  wrest  it  to  their  own  destruction  — but  the  law  and 
the  testimony  are  confessedly  to  be  found  in  the  Scriptures 
of  the  Old  and  New  Testament.  The  Greeks  and  the 
Roman  Catholics  will  insist  on  the  authority  of  the  Church, 
and  make  void  the  law  of  God  and  the  gospel  of  Christ 
by  their  traditions.  The  heathen  not  only  deny  the 
authority  of  revelation,  but  they  have  almost  put  out  the 
light  of  reason.  The  missionary  to  the  heathen  must  not 
only  give  them  the  Bible,  he  must  almost  create  in  them 
a conscience.  The  missionary  to  the  Roman  Catholics  or 
the  Greeks  can  scarcely  find  any  common  and  solid  ground 
on  which  to  stand.  He  wants  the  fulcrum  on  which  he 
can  rest  the  lever,  whereby  he  would  move  and  elevate 
those  dead  and  sunken  masses.  But  these  interesting  frag- 
ments of  the  ancient  Oriental  church  are  “ more  noble,” — 
they  are  willing  to  search  the  Scriptures,  to  see  whether 
the  missionary  tells  them  the  truth,  and  they  will  not 
deny  the  authority,  though  they  may  fail  to  submit  to  its 
divine  teachings. 

The  papacy  has  long  had  a covetous  eye  on  these  east- 
ern churches,  and  has  seized  every  opportunity  to  make 
inroads  on  their  territory.  Infallible  and  immutable  as 
the  Romish  Church  is,  she  is  now  quite  willing  to  over- 
look the  doctrinal  difference  which  was  the  ground  of 
their  excision.  Provided  only  they  will  acknowledge 
the  supremacy  of  the  Pope,  she  can  wink,  for  a season 
at  least,  at  errors  in  doctrine  and  practice — she  can  wait 
for  time  and  tact  and  persuasion  and  j^ower,  when  once  it 


NESTORIANS. 


161 


is  reestablished,  to  effect  a full  conformity  to  her  own  ritual. 
By  such  unscrupulous  means  she  has  been  but  too  suc- 
cessful in  the  accomplishment  of  her  end.  In  1780,  the 
Nestorian  Patriarch  of  the  Plain,  whose  residence  was  at 
Mosul,  submitted  to  the  Roman  See,  thus  leaving  the 
Patriarch  of  the  Mountains  and  the  feeble  churches,  which 
acknowledged  his  supremacy,  to  stand  alone  in  their  resist- 
ance. “ This  secession,”  says  Mr.  Laurie  in  his  admirable 
biography  of  Dr.  Grant,  “was  secured  partly  by  bribes 
and  partly  by  violence,  and  was  followed  by  still  severer 
oppression  of  the  proselyted  patriarch.  At  his  death,  in 
1841,  his  office,  instead  of  descending  to  his  nephew,  ac- 
cording to  previous  custom,  was  conferred  on  a Chaldean 
from  Salmas,  and  the  very  name  of  Mar  Elias  (hitherto 
the  hereditary  and  official  name  of  the  patriarch,)  ex- 
changed for  that  of  Mar  Nicola,  by  a decree  from  the 
Pope.  Nor  is  this  interference  with  the  patriarchate  the 
only  wrong  Rome  has  inflicted  on  a sister  church.  She 
has  altered  her  ancient  liturgy,  introduced  her  own  idola- 
trous worship  of  images,  suppressed  the  second  command- 
ment, and,  as  a matter  of  course,  forbids  the  circulation 
of  the  Scriptures  that  would  expose  the  mutilation.  The 
people  are  restive  under  her  yoke,  and  the  day  of  retribu- 
tion may  be  near  at  hand.”  Such  was  the  state  of  the 
Nestorian  Church,  when  the  missionaries,  sent  by  the 
American  Board  to  the  mountain  Nestorians,  found  them- 
selves shut  out  from  that  field  by  an  exterminating  war, 
and  in  the  mysterious  providence  of  God  placed  in  an- 
other (Mosul)  amid  a population  of  forty  thousand  souls, 
“ of  whom  nearly  one-third  were  Christians.” 

Very  similar  was  the  condition  of  the  Jacobites,  the 
other  branch  of  the  ancient  church  of  Antioch.  “ By  her 
usual  arts,”  we  borrow  the  language  of  Mr.  Laurie,  “ Rome 
had  seduced  a portion  of  the  people,  and,  true  to  her 
persecuting  character,  she  now  invoked  the  aid  of  the 
Turks  to  take  away  the  churches  from  those  who  still 
14* 


162 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


remained  true  to  their  ancient  faith.  ‘ On  the  side  of 
their  oppressors  there  was  power,’  and  soon  rough  parti- 
tion walls  divided  the  sanctuaries  of  their  fathers.  On 
one  side,  the  faithful  remnant  chanted  their  ancient 
hymns ; on  the  other,  rose  the  voices  of  the  Papists  amid 
images  imported  from  Pome.” 

The  Romish  perverts,  or  seceders,  from  the  churches  of 
the  East,  have  taken  new  names,  and  have  had  the  wis- 
dom to  choose,  and  the  arrogance  to  assume  the  national 
or  provincial  names,  which  should  have  belonged  to  the 
original  churches.  Those  who  have  gone  out  from  the 
Nestorian  church  are  called  Chaldeans,  and  those  who 
have  left  the  Jacobites,  Syrians.  The  patriarch  of  the 
Chaldeans  and  Syrians  resides  at  Mosul;  of  the  Jacobites 
at  Mardin,  in  Mesopotamia;  and  of  the  hTestorians  in  the 
mountains  of  Koordistan. 

The  missionaries  seemed  to  have  come  too  late ; they 
found  “the  whole  region  abandoned  to  Paj)al  superstition 
and  Moslem  fanaticism.”  But  Providence  had  prepared 
the  way  in  a remarkable  manner  for  their  favorable  recep- 
tion and  the  immediate  communication  of  the  pure  gospel 
to  their  persecuted  brethren,  even  before  they  had 
acquired  the  language.  This  can  not  be  better  told  than 
in  the  words  of  the  biographer  of  Dr.  Grant,  who  has  him- 
self been  on  the  ground  and  borne  a part  in  the  early  his- 
tory of  the  mission : “ As  they  had  once  been  duped  by 
the  plausible  pretences  of  the  Papists,  they  were  cautious 
in  their  advances  towards  strangers.  But  Providence  had 
provided  for  this  also.  When  Dr.  Grant  arrived  in  Mosul, 
he  found  Joseph  Matthews,  a Jacobite  priest  from  Mala- 
bar,— a graduate  of  the  English  College  at  Cottayam, 
and  very  evangelical  in  his  views,  — on  his  way  to  the 
patriarch  at  Mardin,  to  be  ordained  Metropolitan  of  the 
Jacobites  in  India.  He  spoke  English  with  much  pro- 
priety, and  manifested  a deep  interest  in  the  spiritual  wel- 
fare of  his  church.  He  at  once  gave  the  missionaries  the 


THE  JACOBITE  MILLWRIGHT. 


163 


right  hand  of  fellowship,  and  did  all  in  his  power  to 
recommend  them  to  the  people.  But  then,  though  with 
the  former  he  could  converse  in  English,  he  had  no 
medium  of  intercourse  with  the  latter.  And  this  opens 
another  page  of  missionary  providence. 

“ A young  Jacobite  millwright  had  grown  up  to  man- 
hood without  knowing  a letter.  Such  a thing  as  an  adult 
learning  to  read  was,  to  him  at  least,  unheard  of,  so  that 
when  he  made  the  attempt  he  was  laughed  at  for  his 
pains.  Undismayed  by  ridicule,  he  induced  the  son  of  a 
priest  to  teach  him  the  Syriac  alphabet;  and  after  he 
came  home  from  his  day’s  work  among  the  rude  horse- 
mills  of  the  city,  by  the  light  of  his  lamp,  in  the  solitude 
of  his  own  room,  he  spelled  his  way  into  a tolerable  knowl- 
edge of  the  ancient  Syriac.  Not  content  with  merely 
repeating  the  sounds  of  the  words,  as  others  did,  he  sought 
for  their  meaning,  and,  mark  the  result ! the  priest  from 
India  spoke  this  language  freely,  and,  with  Micha  (the 
millwright)  for  an  interpreter,  he  preached  Christ  and 
him  crucified,  to  the  Jacobites  of  Mosul.  What  a chain 
of  providences!  Just  when  that  church,  hard  pressed  by 
its  enemies,  was  looking  round  for  help,  the  missionaries 
were  sent ; and  while  they  were  held  back  from  entering 
the  field  they  came  from  America  to  occupy,  a priest  from 
India,  prepared  to  appreciate  their  object,  was  sent  to 
introduce  them  into  another ; and  from  among  that  other 
people,  in  an  unusual  way,  God  provided  an  interpreter 
for  his  servant  from  the  East.” 

For  two  months,  this  coadjutor,  sent  by  Providence 
from  a distant  land,  cooperated  with  the  mission,  in  the 
circulation  of  the  Scriptures,  and  in  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel ; and  then,  at  the  end  of  September,  1841,  he  went 
with  his  interpreter  to  the  residence  of  the  Jacobite  pa- 
triarch in  Mardin.  “ In  the  spring,  Priest  Matthew  re- 
turned to  Mosul  as  Mutran  * Athanasius,  his  zeal  no  whit 


Bishop.  With  this  new  office,  he  took  also  a new  name. 


164 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


abated  by  the  transformation ; and  Micha  returned  also* 
a more  intelligent. and  valuable  assistant,  though  not  then, 
as  he  thinks,  a converted  man.” 

The  bishop  remained  during  the  summer,  rendering 
cheerful  assistance  to  Mr.  Hinsdale,  while  Dr.  Grant  was 
absent  on  a tour  among  the  mountain  Nestorians;  and 
then  he  returned  to  India,  where  he  proved  an  able  and 
faithful  pastor  and  teacher  of  the  flock.  Micha  continued 
to  be  the  interpreter  and  teacher  of  the  missionaries,  till 
repeated  deaths  and  adverse  providences  occasioned  a 
temporary  suspension  of  the  mission.  During  the  dark 
and  stormy  night,  he  stood  at  his  post,  encouraging  the 
little  band  of  true  believers,  and  watching  and  praying 
for  the  morning.  When  other  missionaries  at  length 
arrived,  he  was  there  to  welcome  them ; and  there  he  still 
remains  a pillar  in  the  church,  and,  so  far  as  his  imper- 
fect health  will  allow,  an  efficient  fellow-laborer  in  the 
work  of  the  mission. 

W e must  now  revert  to  the  sad  history  of  the  many  and 
peculiar  trials  which  befell  the  first  missionaries.  It  was 
in  the  autumn  of  1839,  that  Dr  Grant,  the  intrepid  pio- 
neer in  the  mission  to  the  mountain  Nestorians,  first 
visited  Mosul,  partly  for  the  sake  of  exploring  Mesopo- 
tamia and  Assyria,  and  ascertaining  the  state  of  the  Jaco- 
bite and  Nestorian  churches,  and  partly  for  the  sake  of 
entering  the  mountains  from  the  Turkish  side,  since  they 
are,  for  the  most  part,  subject  nominally  to  the  Turkish 
empire.  In  January,  1841,  Messrs.  Hinsdale  and  Mitchell, 
with  their  wives,  left  the  United  States  to  go  by  way  of 
Mosul,  and  join  Dr.  Grant  in  his  mountain  mission.  De- 
tained by  ill  health  and  the  unforeseen  but  unavoidable 
delays  incident  to  travel  in  the  East,  it  was  already  the 
middle  of  June  before  they  reached  Diarbekr.  They  set 
out  almost  immediately  by  the  land  route  for  Mosul.  But 
Mr.  Mitchell  died  on  the  way,  and  was  buried  at  Telabel, 
about  five  hours  from  Jezirah.  On  the  7th  of  July,  the 


TRIALS  OF  THE  FIRST  MISSIONARIES. 


1G5 


remainder  of  the  party  reached  Mosul,  having  suffered 
every  thing  but  death  from  the  heat  of  the  climate,  the 
hardships  and  trials  of  the  journey,  and  the  barbarity  of 
the  inhabitants,  But  Mrs.  Mitchell  was  to  find  rest  only 
in  her  grave.  On  the  12th,  she  went  to  join  her  husband 
in  that  land  where  they  shall  no  more  say,  I am  sick. 
“Mr.  Hinsdale,  who  had  watched  with  Mrs.  Mitchell,  till 
he  fainted  in  attempting  to  walk  from  one  room  to  another, 
was  taken  violently  ill  before  her  death,  and  was  not  able 
to  leave  his  bed  till  August.  Mrs.  Hinsdale,  at  the  same 
time,  was  too  ill  to  render  him  any  assistance.”  On  the 
24th,  Dr.  Grant  arrived  from  the  mountains  just  in  time 
to  save  Mr.  Hinsdale  from  a relapse,  that  would  otherwise, 
probably,  have  proved  fatal.  On  the  12th  of  November, 
1842,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Laurie  reached  Mosul,  the  former  sick 
with  chills  and  fever,  and  the  latter  worn  out  with  fatigue 
and  anxiety.  Mr.  Hinsdale,  who  had  just  returned  from 
the  mountains,  devoted  himself  to  their  recovery  till  con- 
stant watching  and  care,  together  with  a cold  contracted 
in  the  mountains,  induced  a fever,  of  which  he  died  on 
the  26th  of  December.  In  December,  1843,  Mrs.  Laurie, 
after  two  months’  decline,  fell  asleep  in  Jesus.  And  in 
April,  1844,  the  mission  was  called  to  endure  a more  severe 
trial  than  any  it  had  yet  experienced,  in  the  death  of  the 
enterprising  pioneer,  the  fearless  soldier  of  the  cross,  the 
skillful  physician,  the  heroic  and  devoted  missionary,  Dr. 
Grant.  It  was  just  nine  years  since  he  left  Utica,  N.  Y., 
to  embark  for  the  shores  of  Asia.  During  that  time,  he 
had  made  five  distinct  missionary  tours  among  the  scat- 
tered tribes  and  villages  of  the  Koordish  mountains.  Once 
he  had  visited  his  native  land,  chiefly  to  plead  the  cause 
of  his  beloved  mission,  by  his  tongue  and  by  his  pen,  and, 
if  possible,  to  enlist  volunteers  in  the  service.  Constrained 
by  a sense  of  duty  to  his  own  family,  he  was  soon  con- 
templating a second  visit  to  the  United  States.  But 
another  home  and  other  friends  were  destined  to  welcome 


166 


MEMOIR  OF  L013DELL. 


him.  Exhausted  by  incessant  ministries  to  the  bodies 
and  the  souls  of  the  poor  Nestorian  fugitives,  who,  driven 
from  the  mountains  by  their  unrelenting  enemies,  fled  for 
refuge  to  Mosul  and  died  there  in  great  numbers  of  a 
malignant  typhus  fever,  he  also  took  the  disease.  Dr. 
Azariah  Smith  had  providentially  arrived  just  before ; but 
the  disease  baffled  medical  skill,  and  the  extinction  of  the 
independence  and  almost  of  the  existence  of  the  moun- 
tain Nestorians  was  soon  followed  by  the  death  of  their 
indefatigable  friend  and  benefactor.  Of  the  seven  mis- 
sionaries who  first  went  to  that  field,  five  sleep  on  the 
banks  of  the  Tigris  — precious  dust  awaiting  a glorious 
resurrection  — precious  seed,  too,  we  doubt  not,  destined 
yet  to  spring  up  in  a spiritual  harvest  that  shall  wave 
like  the  corn  in  the  Assyrian  valley,  and  like  the  trees  of 
the  forest  in  the  Koordish  mountains.  Nor  were  these 
their  only  trials.  Not  only  did  cruel  and  bloody  enemies 
destroy  the  fold  and  scatter  the  flock  on  the  mountains, 
wolves  in  sheep’s  clothing  seized  upon  the  fugitives  in  the 
valley.  Most  of  them  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  papists. 
The  patriarch  of  the  valley  had  gone  over  to  the  pope, 
and  taken  most  of  the  people  with  him.  The  papists 
had  possession  of  the  churches,  the  schools,  the  convents, 
the  revenues,  all  the  ecclesiastical  property.  So  long  as 
the  fugitives  adhered  to  the  faith  of  their  fathers,  they 
could  expect  neither  charity  nor  justice.  They  were  de- 
nied needful  food,  raiment,  and  shelter.  Nay,  they  were 
even  refused  burial  in  the  churches  that  were  properly  their 
own.  But  if  they  would  only  turn  papists,  not  only  char- 
ity but  bribes  were  distributed  with  a liberal  hand.  “ F orty 
thousand  piastres  of  French  gold  are  said  to  have  aided 
the  arguments  employed  to  convince  them  of  the  identity 
of  that  church  with  their  own.”  They  were  generally  too 
weak  in  the  faith  to  withstand  such  temptations. 

Moreover  the  papists  found  a virtual  ally,  and  the  Prot- 
estants a bitter  enemy  in  one  from  whom  better  things 


SUSPENSION  OE  THE  MISSION. 


167 


should  have  been  expected.  An  Englishman  who  de- 
nounced the  American  missionaries  as  mere  schismatics, 
tampered  with  Micha  and  others  who  had  become  more 
or  less  enlightened,  and  endeavored  to  withdraw  them 
from  the  influence  of  the  missionaries,  and  even  labored 
to  poison  the  minds  of  the  Jacobites  against  the  Syriac 
Bibles  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  (which 
were  circulated  by  the  missionaries,)  because  they  did  not 
contain  the  Apocrypha.  Micha  spurned  his  insinuations. 
Bishop  Athanasius  withstood  him  to  the  face.  The  mis- 
sionaries bore  opposition  from  this  unexpected  source  with 
Christian  meekness  and  forbearance.  But  it  was  among 
their  sorest  trials  ; for  it  was  not  an  enemy  that  reproached 
them — it  was  one  who  should  have  been  their  friend. 

Bereaved,  disappointed,  and  shut  out  from  their  expected 
field  of  labor,  the  survivors  returned  to  America.  After 
little  more  than  three  years  from  its  commencement,  the 
mission  was  suspended.  For  a time,  Micha  was  left  almost 
alone  to  stem  the  flood  of  papal  errors  and  diffuse  the 
light  of  the  pure  gospel.  But  the  influence  of  the  truth, 
preached  by  the  missionaries  and  further  extended  by  the 
circulation  of  the  Scriptures,  was  still  working  on  many 
minds,  not  only  among  the  Jacobites,  but  among  the  papal 
Nestorians.  There  was  a remarkable  movement  especially 
in  the  convent  at  Al-Kosh,  the  seat  of  papal  learning  and 
influence;  and  Micha  found  coadjutors  among  those  who 
had  been  monks  in  that  monastery.  The  visits  of  Messrs. 
Perkins  and  Stocking  from  Oroomiah,  and  of  Mr.  Ford 
from  Aleppo — the  former  in  1849,  and  the  latter  in  1850 
— encouraged  the  native  brethren  and  kept  alive  the 
flame.  In  March,  1850,  Rev.  D.  W.  Marsh,  a graduate  of 
Williams  College  and  of  Union  Theological  Seminary, 
arrived  at  Mosul,  and  with  the  advice  and  cooperation  of 
Mr.  Ford,  purchased  a house  for  a place  of  worship,  and 
took  measures  for  the  formation  of  a Protestant  commu- 
nity. In  May,  1851,  Rev.  W.  F.  Williams,  of  Utica,  1ST.  Y., 


168 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


and  a graduate  of  Auburn  Theological  Seminary,  arrived 
from  Beyroot,  bringing  together  with  Mrs.  Williams,  Miss 
Salome  Karabet,  “ the  first  missionary  from  the  native 
church  of  Abeih,”  to  engage  in  the  instruction  of  females. 
Mr.  Marsh  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williams  composed  the  mis- 
sion, when  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Lobdell  joined  it;  though  Mr. 
Marsh  was  then  absent  on  a visit  to  his  native  land,  and 
only  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williams  were  there  to  welcome  them, 
on  their  arrival  on  Saturday,  the  8th  of  May,  1852. 


CHAPTER  X. 


Climate  of  Mosul  — Extreme  heat  — Dryness  — Houses  — Bargains  — Cheap 
living  — Opening  of  his  Boxes  — Medical  Practice  — Dispensary  — Accompa- 
nied with  Religious  Services  — Diseases,  bodily  and  spiritual  — His  own 
Health  — Recreations  during  and  after  sickness  — Assyrian  Antiquities  — 
Missionary  Physicians  — Stated  Religious  Services  of  the  Mission  — Native 
Helpers — Priest  Michael  — Deacon  Jeremiah  — Micha  and  Hanna  — The 
Arabic  — First  Impressions  of  the  Field  — Discouragements — Women  — 
Schools  — Extracts  from  Journal  — Selections  from  Letters  — To  Dr.  Perkins 

— Mr  Coan  — Mr.  Stoddard  — Mr.  Seelye  — His  Brother  — Dr.  Anderson 

— Mr.  Scofield  — Dr.  Hitchcock. 


The  latitude  of  Mosul  is  about  the  same  with  the  south 
line  of  Virginia.  But  the  heat  of  summer  is  far  more 
intense  in  Assyria,  than  it  is  in  any  part  of  the  United 
States.  For  weeks  and  months  together,  the  thermometer 
ranges  from  100°  to  110°,  and  sometimes  rises  even  to 
117°  in  the  shade  at  mid-day ; and  not  unfrequently  it 
stands  through  the  night  at  the  highest  point  which  it 
ever  reaches  in  the  day-time  in  our  climate.  The  average 
temperature  of  the  day  and  the  night  is  usually  as  high  as 
95°  in  the  month  of  July,  90°  for  the  three  summer 
months,  and  67°  for  the  whole  year.  The  dryness  of  the 
atmosphere  is  as  excessive  as  the  heat.  Rain,  dew,  and 
even  clouds  are  unknown  through  the  summer,  which  is  the 
dry  season.  “ For  two  weeks  past,”  writes  Mrs.  Lobdell 
early  in  November,  “ 87°  has  been  the  highest  point  the 
mercury  has  reached.  We  are  just  beginning  to  sit  in  our 
room  with  the  doors  closed,  and  I fancy  in  about  two 
weeks  more  we  shall  find  a fire  comfortable.  Last  night, 
we  had  quite  a shower  of  rain,  and  most  of  the  day  has 
been  cloudy.  A clouded  sky  is  a new  thing  for  us  to  see 
in  Mosul.  No  rain  fell  for  four  or  five  months  after  we 

15 


170 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


reached  here,  except  a few  drops  the  week  after  we  ar- 
rived.” Add  to  this  excessive  heat  and  dryness  an  occa- 
sional sirocco,  when  the  atmosphere  becomes  a stifling 
cloud  of  fine  sand,  and  an  impalpable  dust  penetrates  not 
only  every  crevice  about  the  doors  and  windows,  but 
every  closet  and  drawer  in  the  house,  and  the  reader  will 
readily  imagine  some  of  the  inconveniences  and  discom- 
forts of  a summer  in  Mosul.  “ In  July,  every  dry  object 
communicates  the  sensation  of  heat.  Beds  seem  just 
scorched  with  a warming-pan,  and  even  the  stone  floor  is 
hot  to  the  touch.  A change  of  linen,  instead  of  imparting 
the  cooling  sensation  that  it  does  in  other  climes,  feels  as 
if  fresh  from  the  mouth  of  a furnace ; for  perspiration 
keeps  the  body  cooler  than  the  dry  substances  around  it. 
Such  extreme  heat  deals  most  unmercifully  with  furniture. 
Solid  mahogany  desks  are  split;  articles  fastened  with 
glue  fall  to  pieces ; miniatures  painted  on  ivory  curl  like 
a shaving,  and  the  ivory  handles  of  knives  and  forks  crack 
from  end  to  end.  An  unfortunate  piano  that  had  wan- 
dered from  England  to  one  of  the  consulates,  was  contin- 
ually wrenched  out  of  tune  and  rendered  useless.”  Such 
is  the  graphic  description  which  Mr.  Laurie,  in  his  Life  of 
Dr.  Grant,  gives  of  the  effect  of  the  climate,  even  on  in- 
animate things ; and  the  unanimous  testimony  of  Dr.  Lob- 
dell  and  others  who  have  spent  years  in  the  country, 
forbids  the  supposition  which  we  are  at  first  inclined  to 
entertain,  that  it  is  exaggerated. 

No  wonder,  that  the  first  missionary  families,  who  were 
so  unfortunate  as  to  arrive  in  mid-summer,  were  swept 
away  almost  as  by  the  plague.  The  marvel  is,  how  any 
human  being,  how  any  living  thing  but  salamanders,  can 
exist  in  such  a climate.  Men  and  animals  shun,  by  every 
possible  means,  the  heat  at  noon-day.  The  direct  rays  of 
the  sun  scorch  and  burn  like  the  flames  of  a furnace. 
Even  the  buffaloes,  in  default  of  a shade,  bury  themselves 
up  to  the  nostrils  in  the  waters  of  the  Tigris.  The  kings 


LIFE  IN  MOSUL. 


171 


and  nobles  of  ancient  Nineveh  built  the  walls  of  their 
palaces  under  ground.  The  rich  men  of  Mosul,  and  all 
who  can  afford  the  luxury,  “ have  serdaubs  or  cellars  fitted 
up  under  the  court  of  the  house  for  sitting-rooms  in  the 
summer ; and  the  nights  are  spent  on  the  roofs  by  all 
classes,  from  May  till  September.”  In  the  spring  and 
autumn,  the  occupants  of  the  better  houses  find  a de- 
lightful place  for  sitting  and  breathing  the  pure  air,  for 
lounging  on  the  divan,  or  talking  with  a friend,  in  the 
leewan  — a spacious  alcove  opening  into  the  court  by  a 
broad  and  lofty  arch,  and  often  elegantly  furnished  and 
adorned.*  In  Damascus  and  some  other  cities  of  the 
East,  the  court,  and  sometimes  the  leewan  itself,  is  made 
doubly  refreshing  by  the  cooling  air  and  the  sweet  music 
of  an  ever-flowing  fountain.  But  no  such  luxury  charms 
the  senses  of  the  wealthy  inhabitants  of  Mosul,  who  are 
content  to  drink  water  brought  to  them  in  skins  on  the 
backs  of  animals  from  the  muddy  Tigris.  Dr.  Lobdell 
and  his  family  boarded  with  Mr.  Williams  for  two  months 
and  more,  till  the  heat  of  the  summer,  and  their  increas- 
ing calls  for  medical  advice  and  spiritual  counsel,  ren- 
dered it  necessary  that  they  should  find  more  ample  ac- 
commodations. They  then  leased  a house  belonging  to 
Eunice  Bey,  — one  of  the  Moslem  nobility,  — for  which 
they  were  to  pay  him  an  annual  rent  of  about  seventy-five 
dollars.  The  bargain  was  made  through  Mr.  Rassam,  the 
English  Vice-Consul ; for,  as  Mr.  R.  said,  “ the  Bey  would 
think  it  a disgrace  to  talk  about  the  bargain  with  the 
other  party ; though  he  would  not  hesitate  to  rob  all  the 
poor  in  Mosul.”  In  making  purchases,  of  whatever  kind,  Dr. 
Lobdell  was  continually  reminded  of  Abraham’s  purchase 
of  a burial-place  from  the  sons  of  Heth.  They  would 
begin  with  offering  to  give  him  the  article,  or  allowing  him 


* Dr.  L.  suggests  that  it  was  probably  in  the  leewan  of  the  High  Priest’s  pal- 
ace, that  Jesus  underwent  his  mock  trial,  while  Peter  and  other  lookers-on 
were  in  the  open  court.  Hence  Jesus  could  hear  Peter’s  denial,  and  look  on  him. 


172 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


to  set  his  own  price ; and,  after  setting  a price  and  rising 
upon  it,  perhaps  more  than  once,  they  would  end  with 
demanding  two  or  three  times  the  market  value.  Even 
at  this  rate,  however,  every  thing  in  the  East  seems  cheap 
to  an  American,  so  low  is  the  standard  of  prices.  Thus 
wheat  sometimes  does  not  exceed  fifteen  cents  a bushel. 
A common  laborer  can  be  hired  for  twelve  to  fifteen  cents 
a day ; the  best  masons  and  carpenters  for  thirty,  and  fe- 
males for  eight.  Dr.  Lobdell  bought  a horse  for  twenty- 
seven  dollars,  which,  in  this  country,  would  have  been 
worth  a hundred  or  a hundred  and  fifty.  His  house  was 
in  the  Moslem  quarter  of  the  city.  The  windows  were 
at  least  twenty  feet  above  the  street,  and  looked  out  upon 
brown  walls  from  fifteen  to  sixteen  feet  high,  and  nothing 
else  all  around  it.  Not  a green  thing  was  to  be  seen. 
The  donkeys  trudged  along  the  pavement  loaded  with 
dirt,  grapes,  joss,*  and  the  like ; and  the  only  variation 
afforded  to  this  monotony  was  the  cry  of  the  muezzin 
from  the  minarets  of  the  mosks,  and  now  and  then  a 
coarse  Arab  song  from  the  back  of  a donkey.  As  he  was 
making  some  repairs  for  his  own  convenience,  the  Bey 
requested  him  to  remove  the  letters  of  the  Koran,  with 
which  the  leewcm  was  ornamented,  fearing  that  they 
would  be  profaned  by  such  drunken  revels  as  were  too 
common  in  Frank  houses  in  the  East!  Dr.  Lobdell  al- 
most reproved  himself  for  expending  so  much  money  on 
a house ; yet,  when  he  had  done  his  best  to  improve  it, 
(being  very  often  his  own  architect  and  mechanic,  while 
the  workmen  whom  he  employed,  after  the  manner  of  the 
country,  stood,  and  smoked  and  talked  and  looked  on), 
he  said  no  minister  in  America  would  live  in  it. 

When  he  came  to  open  his  boxes  of  goods,  he  was  sorry, 
but  hardly  disappointed,  to  find  that  they  were  in  a sad 
condition.  A box  of  glass,  which  he  bought  at  Aleppo, 


* A mixture  of  stones  and  pounded  gypsum. 


MEDICAL  PRACTICE. 


173 


was,  two  thirds  of  it,  broken.  Furniture  from  America 
was  scarcely  in  a better  plight ; and  books,  bedding,  and 
wearing  apparel,  wet,  moldy,  smoking  and  fermenting, 
were  so  massed  and  matted  together  that  it  was  not  easy 
to  distinguish  one  thing  from  another.  He  had,  however, 
the  comfort  of  knowing  that  he  had  fared  better  than 
some  of  his  brethren,  who,  on  opening  their  boxes,  found 
flour  and  fruit,  coflee  and  cocoa,  books  and  bedding  re- 
duced to  such  a state  that  they  could  not  tell  whether 
pulp  or  paste  predominated. 

Scarcely  had  Dr.  Lobdell  set  foot  in  Mosul,  when  he 
was  besieged  by  patients  of  every  class  and  description, 
lie  therefore  went  every  where  armed  with  pills,  pincers, 
and  lancets.  He  made  professional  calls  in  the  city,  and, 
after  a while,  in  villages  at  some  hours’  distance.  He 
opened  a dispensary,  where  medicine  was  administered  to 
all  classes,  always  accompanied  with  prayer,  and  the  read- 
ing and  expounding  of  the  Scriptures.  For  a time,  he 
did  all  this  gratuitously,  and  received  patients  at  all  hours 
of  the  day.  It  was  afterwards  found  necessary,  or 
deemed  expedient,  to  open  the  dispensary  only  at  a fixed 
hour  in  the  after  part  of  the  day,  and  to  charge  a small 
fee  in  case  the  patient  was  able  to  pay,  and  in  proportion 
to  his  ability.  Still  the  room,  and  sometimes  the  court, 
was  crowded.  A hundred  patients,  high  and  low,  rich 
and  poor,  Moslem,  Jew,  and  Christian,  were  often  present 
together.  Some  rode  on  horses,  some  on  donkeys,  some 
came  on  foot,  and  some  were  borne  on  the  shoulders  or  in 
the  arms  of  their  friends.  The  majority  were  often  Mo- 
hammedans. But  they  made  no  objection  to  the  religious 
services,  which  were  the  indispensable  condition  of  re- 
ceiving the  medicines.  While  Dr.  Lobdell  was  ignorant 
of  the  language,  Mr.  Williams,  or  one  of  the  native  help- 
ers, conducted  the  religious  services.  It  was  not  long, 
however,  before  the  Doctor  himself  could  point  a lancet 
or  sweeten  a pill  with  more  or  less  of  the  truths  of  the 
15* 


174 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


gospel.  He  soon  trained  an  assistant  also  in  the  admin- 
istration of  medicines,  though  Ablahad’s  office  was  chiefly 
that  of  an  apothecary,  and  in  that  he  needed  close  and 
constant  watching. 

The  diseases  were  of  every  kind,  real  or  imaginary,  pos- 
sible or  conceivable.  As  in  soul,  so  in  body,  they  an- 
swered to  the  description  of  the  prophet.  Every  organ, 
from  the  sole  of  the  foot  to  the  crown  of  the  head,  had  its 
disease  or  its  bruise.  All  was  wounds  and  putrifying 
sores  ; and  they  had  not  been  bound  up,  neither  mollified 
with  ointment.  Goitre,  leprosy,  ophthalmia,  — all  so  bad 
as  to  make  the  person  a mass  of  deformity,  — and  those 
worse  diseases,  which  are  not  to  be  named  in  Christen- 
dom, but  with  which  the  whole  body  of  Islam  is,  as  it 
were,  rotten,  and  the  whole  blood  cancerous  — these  were 
among  the  most  common  types  of  disease,  with  which  he 
was  every  day  familiar.  But  the  most  frequent  distemper 
with  which  he  met,  and  which  tried  his  patience  most, 
was  fear , fright.  If  any  thing  fell  near  them,  especially 
the  women,  they  must  see  the  hakeem . They  wanted 
medicine  to  make  them  thin,  and  medicine  to  make  them 
fat,  — medicine  to  make  them  hot,  and  medicine  to  make 
them  cool.  Children  must  have  medicine  to  make  them 
strong.  They  asked  for  medicine  for  the  idiotic  and  the 
insane.  A man  holding  a high  office  in  the  government, 
once  brought  him  his  watch  to  mend,  thinking  the  ha- 
keem must,  of  course,  understand  the  mechanic  arts.  In 
short,  they  regarded  him  as  a kind  of  magician , who 
knew  all  arts,  and  could  work  all  miracles.  They  were 
astonished  at  his  diagnosis  of  diseases  and  his  foresight  of 
the  issue.  He  was  not  only  more  skillful  but  more  frank 
than  the  native  physicians.  The  native  doctors  were  in 
the  habit  of  assuring  those  who  were  near  their  end,  that 
they  would  recover.  He  made  it  a rule  to  deal  in  perfect 
honesty  and  truthfulness,  as  witli  the  well,  so  with  the 
sick  and  the  dying ; and  whenever  there  was  any  chance 


NATIVE  IDEAS  OF  MEDICINE. 


175 


or  any  hope  of  a good  result,  to  direct  those  who  were  at 
the  point  of  death  to  Jesus,  as  the  only  Physician  who 
could  now  be  of  any  use  to  them,  — the  Physician  of  the 
soul. 

Their  ideas  and  uses  of  medicine  were  as  strange  as 
their  diseases.  They  would  apply  pills  externally,  and 
swallow  the  papers  in  which  medicines  were  put  up. 
They  would  ask,  if  the  'papers  were  to  be  dissolved  in 
water,  as  well  as  the  contents.  They  would  insist  on  tak- 
ing a quart  of  medicine  all  at  once,  or,  perhaps,  go  to  the 
other  extreme,  and  lay  aside  the  medicine  till  they  should 
get  better.  The  Doctor  would  direct  the  removal  of  a 
little  of  the  superfluous  hair,  and,  on  re-visiting  the  pa- 
tient, find  his  whole  head  shaven.  It  was  no  uncommon 
thing  for  the  native  doctors  to  blister  the  head  all  over, 
and  to  cauterize  every  other  part  of  the  body  with  a hot 
iron.  We  do  not  mean  to  say,  that  this  last  was  done  all 
at  once ; but  after  repeated  prescriptions,  in  some  cases, 
scarcely  a square  inch  could  be  found  on  the  whole  body 
that  was  not  cauterized.  At  the  same  time  they  had  a 
great  dread  of  cutting  and  amputation,  as  this  is  the  mark 
of  a convicted  thief  or  felon. 

The  draught  which  such  scenes  must  make  upon  the  sym- 
pathies, was  scarcely  less  exhausting  to  Dr.  Lobdell  than 
the  bodily  fatigue.  He  was  treated  with  the  utmost  kind- 
ness and  respect.  lie  was  saluted  with  the  title,  not  only 
of  Hakeem , but  Consul,  Bey,  Effendi.  He  received  wel- 
come and  valuable  presents.  The  people,  sometimes  at 
least,  showed  that  they  were  capable  of  gratitude,  though 
there  is  no  such  word  in  the  Arabic  language.  But  he 
never  could  forget  that  they  were  immortal  beings,  hasting 
— and,  as  he  could  not  but  believe,  unprepared  — to  the 
retributions  of  eternity.  Their  bodily  diseases  were,  to 
his  eyes,  but  the  symbols  of  the  more  dreadful  malady  to 
which  their  souls  were  subject ; and  the  deaths,  which  he 
so  often  witnessed  or  foresaw,  were,  in  his  view,  but  the 


176 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


awful  prelude  of  death  eternal.  These  were  realities  to 
him ; and  he  longed,  but  could  hardly  hope,  to  make  them 
realities  to  his  patients.  Even  when  worn  out  with  care 
and  toil,  and  so  sick  himself  that  he  could  not  foresee 
the  result,  we  find  in  his  brief  journal  such  entries  as 
these  : “ Calls  plenty.  Poor  people  ! What  will  become 
of  their  souls  ? Oh  that  their  souls  may  be  touched  and 
healed ! ” And  on  seeing  or  hearing  of  a death  among 

o o o 

his  patients,  the  reluctant  conviction  is  forced  from  him 
that  another  soul  is  lost. 

At  three  different  times  during  his  first  summer  in 
Mosul,  Dr.  Lobdell  suffered  from  severe  attacks  of  acute 
disease.  The  first,  in  June,  was  only  an  inflammation  in 
the  ear  and  face,  not  dangerous  but  protracted  and  pain- 
ful in  the  extreme,  so  as  sometimes  to  extort  from  him 
the  cry,  “ pain,  pain. , pain.”  The  latter  part  of  August 
he  was  attacked  with  a fever,  which  lasted  only  a few 
days,  but  left  him  very  weak,  and  brought  him  to  look 
death  in  the  face. 

Again,  late  in  October,  he  was  seized  with  a violent 
headache,  which  continued  day  after  day,  and  threatened 
to  end  in  inflammation  of  the  brain.  At  the  same  time 
Mary  was  suffering  severely  from  ophthalmia  — a disease 
which  often  produces  such  swelling  of  the  face  that  the 
eye  is  invisible,  and  is  attended  with  such  extreme  pain, 
that  the  sufferer  would  gladly  have  the  eye  bored  out,  if 
he  could  thus  find  relief.  But  both  the  father  and  the 
child  were  mercifully  delivered  from  the  extreme  forms 
of  their  respective  diseases,  and,  with  the  return  of  the 
cooler  weather  of  the  autumn,  they  were  restored  to  their 
usual  health. 

Mrs.  Lobdell  was,  at  times,  quite  overcome  with  the 
fatigue  and  anxiety  of  watching  the  sick,  superadded  to 
the  extreme  heat  of  the  climate ; but  she  generally  en- 
joyed as  good  health  as  she  had  enjoyed  in  the  United 
States. 


MEDICINE  FOR  THE  SOUL. 


177 


Dr.  Lobdell  employed  his  sick  days,  when  he  was  not 
too  sick,  and  sometimes  when  lie  was , in  reading  a variety 
of  literary,  religious,  and  professional  books,  of  which  he 
was  as  passionately  fond  as  ever,  but  which,  amid  the 
pressure  of  medical  practice  and  missionary  labors  at  Mo- 
sul, he  found  less  time  to  read  than  he  had  ever  before 
found  in  all  his  life.  While  recovering  his  health,  and 
for  the  sake  of  regaining  his  strength  more  perfectly,  he 
made  excursions  in  the  surrounding  country,  particularly 
among  the  mounds  of  ancient  Nineveh ; examined  with 
his  own  eyes  the  remains  of  Assyrian  antiquities,  which 
were  at  that  time  being  brought  to  light ; compared  notes 
with  Capt.  Loftus,  Mr.  Rassam,  the  English  Vice  Consul, 
and  Mr.  Ilodder,  to  whose  skill  in  drawing  Col.  Rawlin- 
son  has  been  so  much  indebted ; and  was  preparing  to 
form  an  independent  judgment,  if  possible,  of  the  history 
and  the  significance  of  those  wonderful  monuments. 

But  neither  books  nor  antiquities,  his  own  sickness  nor 
his  attendance  on  others,  could  divert  his  mind  from  the 
proper  work  of  the  Christian  missionary.  He  valued  his 
medical  practice  and  reputation  only  as  an  auxiliary  to 
the  propagation  of  the  gospel  and  the  salvation  of  souls. 
He  was  impatient  for  the  time  when  his  command  of  the 
language  would  enable  him  to  jDreach  Christ  with  his  own 
lips  to  the  sick  and  the  dying : “ Called  to  see  a woman 
dying.  How  I wanted  to  point  her  to  Jesus.  But  my 
tongue  is  tied ! M Meanwhile  he  insisted  that  they  should 
hear  the  gospel  from  the  lips  of  others  ; that  none,  whether 
Christian  or  Mohammedan,  should  go  from  the  dispen- 
sary with  medicine,  without  having  the  offer  of  medicine 
for  the  soul  without  money  and  without  price.  This  was 
the  way  in  which  Christ  and  his  apostles  conducted  their 
mission ; and  he  believed  the  modern  missionary  would 
be  safe  and  wise  in  following  their  example.  Wherever 
missionary  physicians  had  labored,  especially  in  the  early 
stages  of  a mission,  he  thought  he  had  seen  the  good 


178 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


effects,  and  lie  looked  for  happy  results  to  follow  his  own 
labors  as  a physician.  He  hoped  and  expected  that  the 
faithful  preaching  of  the  truth  at  the  dispensary  would  be 
followed  by  an  increased  attendance  on  the  religious  ser- 
vices. 

The  regular  preaching  services  were  at  or  near  sunrise 
in  the  morning,  and  at  half-past  four  in  the  afternoon  of  the 
Sabbath,  and  on  Wednesday  evening.  Besides,  there  was 
a Bible-class  Sabbath  noon,  and  a stated  prayer-meeting 
on  Saturday,  at  the  house  of  some  of  the  brethren.  In 
the  preaching,  Mr.  Williams  had  the  cooperation  of  Priest 
Michael  and  Deacon  Jeremiah. 

Michael  is  one  of  the  papal  priests  — the  “ El-Koshites  ” 
— referred  to  in  the  last  chapter  as  having  come  to  the 
help  of  Micha  during  the  suspension  of  the  mission.  In 
a joint-letter,  which  he  and  Micha  then  wrote  to  the  na- 
tive helpers  at  Oroomiah,*  they  give  the  following  ac- 
count of  themselves  : “ It  is  proper  that  we  make  known 
to  you,  dear  friends,  that  we  are  two  men  in  the  city  of 
Mosul  who  have  cast  off  the  way  of  error,  and  laid  hold 
of  the  pure  doctrines  of  the  gospel  of  life,  through  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Our  names  are,  of  one  of  us,  Michael, 
of  the  family  Joomalah,  who  has  come  out  from  under 
the  yoke  of  Rome ; and  the  other,  Micha  Alnakker,  the 
son  of  Jonas,  of  Jacobite  Syrian  origin,  of  Mosul.  We 
both  became  acquainted  with  the  way  of  truth  through 
study  and  examination  of  the  holy  Scriptures,  under  the 
supervision  of  our  English  Christian  brethren,  that  is,  the 
Americans,  who  formerly  dwelt  in  Mosul,  but  not  one  of 
whom  is  now  here.  And  behold  we  are  now  striving  for 
the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints,  and  bear  the  testi- 
mony of  Jesus  Christ,  witnessing  to  all  and  teaching  all 
whom  we  meet,  in  private  and  in  public,  according  to  the 
ability  given  to  us  of  God  ” 


* The  letter  is  translated  by  Rev.  J.  Perkins,  D.  D.,  of  Oroomiali. 


NATIVE  PREACHERS. 


179 


Deacon  Jeremiali  was  also  a papist  and  a monk  from 
the  monastery  at  Al-Kosh.  Dr.  Perkins  saw  him  when 
lie  visited  Mosul,  and  speaks  of  him  as  follows  : * “ Early 
this  morning,  one  of  the  evangelical  4 brethren  ’ called  to 
see  us.  He  was  formerly  a monk,  in  the  papal  monastery 
of  Rabban  Ilermas,  near  Al-Kosh,  where  he  spent  nine 
years.  He  escaped  from  the  monastery,  after  many  pre- 
vious attempts,  more  than  a year  ago.  lie  had  long  been 
deeply  disgusted  with  the  abominations  of  that  den  of 
evil  agents  and  evil  deeds.  He  is  a very  interesting,  in- 
telligent man,  twenty-six  years  old,  and  was  now  engaged 
in  teaching  a school  for  the  Jacobite  bishop,  Mr.  Rassam 
having  obtained  this  place  for  him  after  he  left  the  mon- 
astery and  discarded  the  papacy,  as  he  was  cast  off  by  his 
friends  and  sorely  persecuted  by  his  enemies.” 

Dr.  Perkins  did  not  see  Michael,  as  he  had  been  sent 
by  Mr.  Rassam  to  Jezirah  to  look  after  a school  there, 
which  Mr.  Rassam  had  undertaken  to  sustain  at  his  own 
expense ; but  lie  heard  him  spoken  of  as  entirely  evangel- 
ical and  ready  to  cooperate  in  efforts  to  make  known  the 
gospel.  His  conversion  was  the  more  remarkable,  be- 
cause he  was  already  sixty  years  old.  Jeremiah  accompa- 
nied Dr.  Perkins  and  Mr.  Stocking  on  their  return  to 
Oroomiah,  and  while  spending  the  winter  there,  came 
under  the  influence  of  one  of  the  revivals  by  which  that 
mission  has  been  so  much  blest,  and  experienced  there,  for 
the  first  time,  as  he  thought,  a saving  change.  He  had 
been  enlightened  before,  but  now  he  was  regenerated,  and 
when  he  returned  to  Mosul,  and  began  to  preach  the  gos- 
pel there  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Marsh,  “ the  great 
change  in  his  whole  character  made  a striking  impression 
on  all  who  had  previously  known  him.” 

Among  the  lay  members  of  the  little  church,  Mich  a, 
the  stone-cutter,  was  still  a pillar.  His  brother,  Hanna, 
was  also  a consistent  and  devoted  Christian. 


Missionary  Herald  for  February,  1850,  p.  55. 


180 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL.. 


With  these  and  the  other  brethren,  Dr.  Lobdell  enjoyed 
sweet  communion  in  prayer  and  conversation,  listening  to 
the  simple  narration  of  their  Christian  experience  and 
their  trials  in  the  past  history  of  the  mission,  rejoicing  in 
the  manifest  identity  of  the  Christian  spirit  though  on  op- 
posite sides  of  the  globe,  and  communicating  to  them,  first 
through  an  interpreter  and  afterwards  with  a stammering 
tongue,  as  best  he  could,  still  more  of  the  unsearchable 
riches  of  the  gospel  of  Christ.  Next  to  the  Chinese,  the 
Arabic  is  perhaps  the  most  difficult  language  in  which  our 
missionaries  have  occasion  to  teach  or  preach.  It  is  easy 
enough  to  get  a smattering  of  Arabic  words;  but  to  mas- 
ter it,  as  it  is  written  in  books,  and,  what  is  a very  differ- 
ent matter,  as  it  is  spoken  in  its  different  dialects  by  the 
people,  and  to  make  it  an  accurate  and  adequate  vehicle 
of  Christian  truth  to  unchristian,  or  at  best,  unspiritual 
hearers,  is  a task  to  which  few  missionaries  have  felt  them- 
selves fully  competent.  It  is  amusing,  though  it  excites 
somewhat  of  compassion  also,  to  hear  the  missionaries  tell 
of  their  own  blunders  in  the  choice  of  words,  — how,  for 
example,  they  prayed  that  the  gospel  might  be  a light  to 
“the  ears  of  corn”  and  how,  when  they  inquired  if  there 
was  any  such  thing  as  thunder  on  Mount  Lebanon,  a plow- 
share was  brought  them  that  they  might  see  it  with  their 
own  eyes.  Dr.  Lobdell  complains  particularly  of  the  com- 
plicated grammatical  structure  of  the  language,  and  its 
inadequacy,  with  all  its  richness,  to  express  the  ideas  of 
spiritual  religion.  “ I hope,”  he  says,  after  seeing  the 
crowds  of  thoughtless  and  careless  people  that  gather 
around  the  sick  and  dying,  “ we  may  be  able  to  produce 
some  conviction  of  the  solemnity  of  life  and  death.  The 
Arabic  has  no  word  for  solemnity , nor  gratitude , nor  love 
in  its  fullest  sense.  It  has  a word  for  sin,  but  it  is  only  a 
name.  Words  have  lost  their  meaning.  Death  broods 
over  the  people.”  A little  more  than  a month  after  his 
arrival,  at  the  earnest  request  of  the  people,  Dr.  Lobdell 


DISC O U 11  AG E M ENTS. 


181 


preached  his  first  sermon  through  Micha  as  interpreter. 
A week  or  two  after,  lie  had  the  satisfaction  of  taking 
part,  for  the  first  time,  in  the  examination  of  a candidate 
(Budrus,  that  is,  Peter)  for  admission  to  the  church. 
Sometimes  he  is  much  encouraged  by  the  increasing  num- 
ber of  Bible-readers,  of  attendants  on  the  daily  service 
connected  with  the  dispensary,  and  of  sincere  if  not  anx- 
ious inquirers  after  the  truth. 

But  his  first  impressions  of  the  field  did  not,  on  the 
whole,  promise  a speedy  harvest.  He  could  not  but  think 
it  a much  less  promising  field  than  very  many  others  that 
were  open  and  yet  unoccupied  among  the  Armenians. 
In  his  first  letter  to  the  Mission  House,  dated  Mosul,  May 
21st,  1852,  he  thus  expresses  himself:  “It  would  be  pre- 
sumptuous for  me  to  express  the  conviction  that  there  is 
little  probability  of  great  immediate  results  in  Mosul,  if  I 
had  not  some  sufficient  data  as  the  basis  of  that  predic- 
tion. At  present,  the  work  advances  very  slowly.  Yes- 
terday I saw  for  the  first  time  considerable  encourage- 
ment. A large  number  of  persons  have  assembled  daily 
in  our  court,  since  my  arrival,  to  receive  medicines,  and 
yesterday  eleven  men  called  and  asked  permission  to  dis- 
cuss the  question  of  Protestantism  versus  Tradition.  Mr. 
Williams  says  this  is  the  most  encouraging  fact  he  has 
met  during  the  past  year.  There  are  doubtless  a few  in- 
dividuals, besides  the  members  of  the  church,  who  are 
earnest  in  the  investigation  of  the  truth ; but  I have  been 
surprised  to  mark  the  contrast  of  this  people  with  the 
Armenians.  The  latter  are  anxious  seekers,  the  former 
indifferent  spectators.  We  trust  that  when  they  come  to 
understand  the  benevolence  of  our  motives,  they  will  be 
led  to  feel  that  we  have  the  gospel  spirit  and  are  laboring 
for  their  salvation. 

“ Of  course  you  will  receive  these  views  as  simply  first 
impressions.  Wherein  they  conflict  with  those  expressed 
by  others  .more  experienced,  they  should  doubtless  be 
16 


182 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


regarded  with  corresponding  distrust.  I have  just  come 
from  places  where  the  gospel  is  drawing  multitudes  around 
it,  and  this  may  account  for  the  convictions  I have  ex- 
pressed.” 

The  greatest  number  of  attendants  on  the  Protestant 
services  at  this  time  was  twenty.  The  Chaldean  (papal) 
priests  threatened  to  excommunicate  (one  of  them  actu- 
ally executed  the  threat)  any  of  their  flock  who  should 
even  speak  with  the  Americans.  The  archbishop  of  the 
Jacobites  (Behnam  by  name)  was  secretly  hostile,  though 
he  did  not  dare  openly  to  oppose  the  Protestants.  The 
government,  at  the  instigation  of  the  ecclesiastics,  taxed 
the  Protestants  much  higher  than  the  members  of  any 
other  Christian  sects,  and,  being  so  far  from  Constanti- 
nople, could  disregard  frequent  firmans  with  impunity ; 
just  as  a former  Pasha  at  Mosul  answered  the  firman, 
which  reserved  to  the  Sultan  the  right  of  inflicting  capital 
punishment,  by  throwing  down  before  the  leading  men 
whom  he  had  assembled  for  that  purpose,  the  heads  of  all 
who  were  then  in  prison.  The  taxes  being  promptly  paid, 
under  the  influence  of  the  missionaries,  it  was  for  the  in- 
terest of  the  Pasha  to  protect  the  Protestants  in  the  un- 
disturbed enjoyment  of  their  worship.  Yet  during  the 
great  fast  of  Ramadan,  they  were  not  allowed  to  sing,  and 
their  meetings  for  prayer  on  the  roofs  of  their  houses  were 
sometimes  disturbed  by  the  bowlings  of  the  fanatical 
Moslems.  Want  of  harmony  in  the  church,  and  that  im- 
perfection of  Christian  character  in  its  members  which 
must  be  expected  in  converts  from  semi-heathenism,  and 
which  we  see  even  in  the  churches  gathered  by  the  apos- 
tles, — these  were  sometimes  severer  trials  than  any  that 
could  come  from  without.  And  then  most  discouraging 
of  all  was  that  general  apathy,  of  which  he  speaks  in  the 
above  letter, — that  block-like  insensibility  to  spiritual  and 
eternal  things,  which  astonishes  the  preacher  of  the  gos- 
pel at  home,  and  is  still  more  distressing  to  .the  faithful 


THE  WOMEN. 


183 


missionary,  wherever  men  are  not  moved  by  the  special 
presence  and  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  women,  who,  in  Protestant  Christian  lands,  are 
usually  the  most  susceptible  to  religious  impressions,  were 
found  in  Mosul,  as  they  are  apt  to  be  found  in  the  East, 
less  accessible,  because  more  degraded  and  besotted,  than 
the  other  sex.  Mrs.  Lobdell  thus  commiserates  the  un- 
happy  condition  even  of  the  Christian  women.  “ I long 
to  be  able  to  talk  with  the  degraded  women  here.  Oh, 
they  are  so  degraded ! Only  two  women  are  members  of 
our  church.  One  is  the  mother  of  Micha,  and  the  other 
a middle-aged  woman,  wife  of  one  of  our  church  mem- 
bers. They  are  very  exemplary  in  their  lives,  and  love 
to  come  to  the  prayer-meeting  and  listen  to  the  truth. 
Only  one  of  our  church-members  has  a pious  wife.  The 
others  give  no  indications  of  concern  for  their  immortal 
souls.  One  of  them  does  not  know  how  to  read.  The 
two  others  can  read  a little,  but  I think  not  understand- 
ingly.  The  mother  of  Micha  can  not  read,  and  thinks  she 
can  not  learn  now,  as  her  eyes  are  growing  dim.  A woman 
here,  as  in  all  heathen  lands,  is  of  small  consequence.  If 
she  attends  to  her  husband’s  wants  and  her  children, 
which  few  of  the  women  here  do,  she  has  fulfilled  her  mis- 
sion. The  Christian  women  seldom  go  to  their  churches. 
It  is  a great  shame  for  a woman  to  be  often  seen  in 
the  street.  But  it  is  no  matter  whether  they  go  to  their 
churches  or  not ; for  when  they  do  go,  they  only  pray  to 
the  Virgin  Mary  and  worship  pictures.  The  priests  get 
their  money,  which  ought  to  be  spent  in  buying  clothing 
for  their  half-clad  children.  It  is  very  difficult  to  procure 
little  girls  to  educate.  They  grow  up  uneducated,  and 
often  marry  before  they  are  twelve  years  old.  We  have 
a girls’  school  here  numbering  about  fifteen,  and  a school 
for  boys  also.” 

The  following  extracts  from  his  diary  will  show  the 
spirit  in  which  Dr.  Lobdell  bore  disappointment,  sick- 


184 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


ness,  and  the  various  trials  of  missionary  life.  “ May  23. 
Sunday.  Preaching  by  Mr.  W.  at  a little  after  sunrise. 
Only  twenty  hearers  — hope  my  medical  practice  will  open 
the  way  to  the  people. 

“May  26.  Went  to  see  Kos  (Priest)  Michael’s  boy  — 
very  sick ; also  a poor  female  teacher.  Poverty  is 
scarcely  distinguishable  from  riches  among  the  Christians 
— they  are  so  plundered,  it  is  policy  to  conceal.  Lucy  is 
tired  out.  I am  in  pain  from  my  ear.  But  we  have 
been  blessed. 

“May  30.  Sunday.  Went  to  our  chapel.  Jeremiah 
preached.  But  few  present,  and  half  of  them  asleep. 
Felt  the  need  of  living  to  God.  Oh  for  his  guidance  and 
blessing!  Reading  journal  and  letters  of  Henry  Martyn. 
He  says  : c How  mean  does appear  in  my  view  com- 

pared with  David  Brainerd.’  I agree  with  him,  and 
hence  shall  try  to  live  only  for  the  welfare  of  souls. 
O for  great  grace  ! 

“June  3.  Very  sick  and  sorrowful.  If  I knew  it  were 
God’s  will,  I could  easily  die  to-day.  I have  thought 
much  of  what  I can  do.  Perhaps  God  will  show  me  that 
he  can  get  along  without  me. 

“ July  13.  Great  crowd  at  the  dispensary.  Good  done. 
J3utrus  door-keeper.  I hope  these  great  numbers  will 
furnish  the  means  of  approach  to  souls.  What  are  the 
diseases  of  the  body,  compared  with  those  of  the  soul  ? 

“Aug.  1.  Greatly  taken  with  Stuart’s  Daniel.  How 
learned  that  man ! When  I last  saw  him,  he  knew  infi- 
nitely less  than  now.  Rest,  glorified  spirit ! thy  work  is 
well  done. 

“Aug.  8.  Evening.  On  the  roof.  Brown  walls. 
Dismal  place  ; but  by  the  stars  so  clear  and  bright,  I shall 
soon  tread  my  way  to  heaven.  Then  be  cheerful,  my 
soul ; faint  not,  grow  in  grace,  and  muse  on  the  rest  above. 

“ Aug.  22.  A day  of  preparation  for  heaven.  Looked 
at  this  world  and  the  next.  No  fear  to  die  ; care  not 


DIARY. 


185 


which  shall  come,  death  or  life.  Blessed  be  God  for  faith 
in  Jesus.  This  sustains  me.  I can  leave  all  my  cares  and 
friends  to  him.  How  little  I have  done  for  him  ! Well, 
he  can  do  without  me.  I am  ready  to  be  offered  or  to 
live.  4 Thy  will  be  done.’ 

44  Aug.  24.  A little  improved,  perhaps,  but  very  weak. 
What  is  to  be  the  result  of  this  attack  ? I trust  it  will 
make  me  more  heavenly-minded,  and  more  careful  of  my 
strength.  How  it  should  be  husbanded  here.  How 
would  my  friends  feel,  if  they  knew  my  situation  ? My 
greatest  concern  is,  that  some  of  them  are  in  the  broad 
road.  Oh,  turn  them  to  Christ,  Divine  Spirit,  and  let  us 
all  meet  in  heaven  ! 

44  Aug.  25.  Able  to  write  out  my  short  diary  for  four 
days  past.  Not  much  stronger  than  yesterday.  Read  an 
article  in  Littell  on  Wellington.  Meditated  on  the  bat- 
tles of  Napoleon’s  time.  Be  it  mine  to  make  peace. 

44  Aug.  27.  Have  felt  very  ill  to-day.  Now  (4,  P.  M.) 
I am  feeling  a little  better.  Have  not  been  able  to  read 
to-day.  Life,  Oh,  what  is  life  ! May  the  rest  of  my  life 
tell  on  souls . How  little  can  I do  at  best. 

44  Aug.  29.  I am  very  weak  still.  My  hope  is  in  God. 

My  faith  looks  up  to  thee, 

Thou  Lamb  of  Calvary, 

Saviour  divine. 

Read  Henry  Martyn  this  morning.  As  he  envied  Brain- 
erd’s  devotion,  so  I envy,  if  it  be  Christian,  his.  He  lived 
to  effect  much.  I have  done  nothing.  Must  I be  taken 
away  without  seeing  any  fruit  of  my  labors  ? W ell,  be  it 
my  chief  business  now  to  be  ready  for  my  dear  Saviour’s 
coming.  O ! my  soul,  be  thou  transformed  into  the  like- 
ness of  Christ.  I long  to  depart ; but  I am  yet  desirous 
to  remain.  God’s  will  be  done  ! 

44  Aug.  30.  Feel  much  better ; air  cool.  Oh  ! how  good 
to  feel  that  I am  recovering.  Now  I can  do  something 
for  the  poor  souls  here.  May  I not,  like  Jonah,  mourn 
16* 


186 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


the  loss  of  my  gourd,  while  these  Nmevites  are  perishing. 
Oh  for  wisdom  and  grace  ! 

“ Sept.  12.  Sunday.  Attended  church  after  three 
Sabbaths’  absence.  Pleasant.  Brother  Williams  preached 
earnestly  on  the  essence  of  the  gospel.  Meditation 
sweet.  Private  prayer  consoling.  Feel  more  entirely 
given  to  Christ  than  formerly.  Yet  I cry  out,  cMy  lean- 
ness, my  leanness ! ’ My  strength  is  not  great ; but 
my  illness  is  teaching  me  not  to  complain  of  my  ills. 
How  much  God  has  favored  me  ! With  whom  would  I 
exchange  places  in  the  whole  earth  ? There  is  not  a king 
or  prince  living  with  whom  I would  make  a transfer. 
Intensely  interested  in  D’Aubigne.  Kept  Mary  in  my 
arms,  while  Lucy  went  to  church.  Sat  on  roof  after  tea. 
Stars  far  off,  but  I shall  soon  visit  them.” 

To  this  outline  of  the  history  of  the  mission,  and  of  the 
outward  and  inward  life  of  Dr.  Lobdell,  which  we  have 
gathered  chiefly  from  his  journal,  we  now  append  selec- 
tions from  his  letters  which  were  written  during  the  same 
period,  viz.,  from  his  arrival  at  Mosul  in  May,  1852,  to  the 
close  of  the  year.  They  are  arranged  in  the  order  of  their 
dates. 

Mosul,  June  1st,  1852. 
To  Rev.  J.  Perkins,  D.  D.,  Oroomiah,  Persia. 

My  Dear  Elder  Brother  : — Y our  welcome  note  of 
the  4th  ult.  was  as  joyfully  as  it  was  unexpectedly 
received.  After  a tedious  voyage  and  journey  of  five 
months,  when  the  heat  of  a Mosul  summer  is  beginning  to 
come  on,  and  with  much  to  depress  the  mind,  I need  not 
say  that  words  of  fraternal  greeting  and  sympathy  are 
twice  dear.  How  universal  is  the  tie  of  Christian  sym- 
pathy. It  is  not  necessary  that  one  follower  of  the 
Redeemer  should  see  the  countenance  qf  another  to 
recognize  his  spirit ; in  Christ,  the  disciples  are  one. 
United  to  him  as  their  head,  they  are  united  with 
each  other  as  members  of  the  same  body.  This  invisible 


LETTER  TO  DR.  PERKINS. 


187 


union  of  Christians  is  the  pledge  and  prophecy  of  ever- 
lasting joy.  In  the  simple  fact  that  we  are  laboring 
together  for  the  same  end,  there  is  enough,  as  yon  say,  to 
create  in  us  ua  deep  interest  in  our  success  and  welfare ; ” 
but  it  is  to  me  a pleasant  thought,  that  I can  look  back 
upon  the  home  and  friends  so  dear  to  you.  Amherst,  I 
love  tliee  well ! Thy  missionary  sons  are  all  dear  to  my 
heart.  There  is  something  about  that  college  of  peculiar 
interest  to  the  church  of  God.  I bless  him  that  I was  led 
thither,  and  that  my  future  was  shaped  under  the  mold- 
ing influence  of  Prof.  Fiske  and  Dr.  Hitchcock.  The  one 
has  gone  to  his  reward ; the  other  is  soon  to  go.  And 
we,  dear  brother,  are  to  come  after.  How  much  I owe  to 
them.  It  is  a great  change  from  infidelity  to  faith  in 
Christ.  And  though  neither  of  those  men  can  know  the 
extent  to  which  their  godly  lives  and  scientific  demon- 
strations of  divine  truth  contributed  to  turn  my  thoughts 
to  the  matter  of  personal  religion  and  consecration  to  the 
missionary  work,  still  I delight  to  think  of  the  time,  when 
on  “ the  mount  of  God,”  we  shall  converse  together  of 
these  things.  Perhaps  the  fact  of  your  having 'gone  to 
Persia  had  much  to  do  with  my  leaving  the  land  of  my 
birth.  Thus  it  is  we  are  constantly  touching  springs 
that  move  the  mass  of  mind.  There  is  then  some  reason 
why  we  should  attach  some  interest  to  the  simple  fact  of 
our  having  come  from  the  same  college  hill.  I would  not 
unduly  magnify  it ; for  well  do  I recollect  the  pleasure  I 
had  in  communing  with  brother  Stoddard,  when  in 
America.  Indeed,  we  are  all  one  in  Christ  Jesus  ; and  it 
is  my  prayer  that  in  the  relation  we  sustain  as  members 
of  adjacent  missions,  we  may  ever  feel  that  we  have  a 
common  object  and  ever  be  animated  with  a desire  for  the 
glory  of  our  Master. 

We  found  the  state  of  things  here  less  encouraging 
than  we  had  been  led  to  expect.  The  number  of  hearers 
does  not  exceed  twenty,  and  there  appears  to  be  a dead- 


188 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


ness  to  religious  truth  very  unlike  the  state  of  things 
among  the  Armenians.  But  these  Jacobites  and  Chal- 
deans are  to  be  converted  to  God,  and  we  will  have  faith. 
At  the  time  of  your  visit  there  were  many  things  to 
encourage.  But  ecclesiastical  opposition  and  civil  oppres- 
sion have  done  much  to  retard  the  work.  A time  of  trial, 
however,  is  often  the  seed-time  of  a glorious  harvest. 

I am  glad  to  know  that  the  brethren  of  your  mission 
are  all  encouraged  still,  and  that  you  have  so  much  evi- 
dence of  the  presence  of  God.  May  he  never  forsake  you. 

TO  THE  SAME. 

Mosul,  June  16th,  1852. 

Rev.  Dr.  Perkins, 

Dear  Brother  : — We  received  letters  last  week  from 
some  of  the  native  brethren  of  Diarbekr,  requesting  us  to 
use  our  influence  with  Mr.  Rassam  and  the  Pasha  here  to 
secure  redress  for  an  act  of  violence.  Before  Mr.  Dun- 
more  left  for  Erzeroom,  it  seems,  he  married  a Syrian  girl 
to  a Protestant,  with  the  consent  of  her  father,  mother, 
and  uncle.  The  next  day  her  brother  came  into  the  city 
from  a village,  and  began  to  show  his  indignation  by 
taking  her  case  before  the  Pasha.  The  Pasha  referred 
the  matter  to  the  bishop,  who  asked  the  girl  whether  she 
was  Syrian  or  Protestant.  She  replied  that  she  was  not 
a Protestant  then ; whereupon  he  married  her  at  once  to 
a Jacobite  ! The  case  is  important,  as  the  bishop  threat- 
ens to  annul  all  the  marriages  performed  by  Dr.  A.  Smith, 
while  he  was  in  Diarbekr.  The  work  there  is  deeply 
interesting,  but  full  of  perplexity  and  trials.  It  is  hoped 
that  the  appointment  of  another  Pasha  will  not  long  be 
delayed. 

As  to  matters  in  Mosul,  there  is  nothing  occurring  of 
very  special  interest.  My  dispensary  is  pretty  well 
patronized.  Brother  Williams  opens  the  dispensation 
with  reading  the  Testament  and  prayer.  I am  glad  to 


TO  IIIS  BROTHER. 


189 


say,  that  the  brethren  appear  to  be  getting  awake.  The 
people  on  the  Boohtan  are  needing  attention. 

You  will  remember  me,  if  yon  please,  to  brother  Stod- 
dard, and  assure  him  of  the  fact  that  I am  one , whom  his 
earnest  appeals,  while  in  America,  very  much  affected. 

TO  IIIS  BROTHER. 

Mosul,  June  16tli,  1852. 

My  Dear  Brother  Frank  : — As  to  your  advice  not 
to  kill  the  Arabs  at  first,  I can  only  say,  that  their  bodies 
are  of  such  peculiar  make,  that  I have  succeeded  in  killing 
only  two  since  I have  been  here.  It  is  but  justice  to  add, 
however,  that  these  two  would  have  died  sooner  than 
they  did,  had  they  not  received  some  American  physic. 
I find  that  the  peojile  consider  me  a sort  of  magician. 
Often,  as  I ask  them,  “What  is  the  matter?”  they  say,  “You 
know,”  and  say  no  more.  The  touching  of  their  pulse  has 
a mysterious  j30wer.  I am  very  confident,  as  Dr.  Mott 
told  me  it  would  be,  that  I do  twice  as  much  good  here 
by  my  knowledge  of  medicine,  as  I could  without  it.  But 
after  all,  if  the  practice  of  medicine  is  not  made  subser- 
vient to  the  higher  purpose  of  religious  instruction  and 
impression,  it  is  of  comparative  insignificance.  The  med- 
icine for  the  soul  is  of  infinitely  more  importance  than 
that  for  the  body.  Hence  the  necessity  that  every 
medical  missionary  shall  have  a thorough  theological 
training.  To  secure  this,  a collegiate  course  is  almost 
indispensable.  I do  not  regret  that  I worked  my  way 
through  Amherst  College.  I am  very  sure  that  even  here 
it  pays.  Do  not  think  that  the  best  acquirements  will 
not  be  serviceable  on  missionary  ground.  The  man  who 
has  not  force  of  character  enough  to  do  well  at  home,  can 
never  do  much  as  a missionary.  He  will  have  more  per- 
plexing questions  to  solve  there  than  at  home,  and  he  will 
have  far  less  counsel  and  advice. 

Therefore  let  me  say,  again,  that  you  should  bring  your 


190 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


mind,  as  soon  as  Providence  permits,  to  a decision  respect- 
ing your  place  of  labor,  and  then  prepare  yourself  for  that. 
If  I had  known  that  I should  come  to  Mosul,  I never 
should  ha  ve  studied  Spanish  or  German ; but  should  have 
given  more  time  to  French,  and  a good  deal  more  to 
Italian. 

I am  very  well  contented  here,  and  am  sure  I shall  do 
more  for  the  everlasting  good  of  men  than  I should  have 
done  in  the  United  States.  What  is  fame  ? Ask  the 
buried  dead  in  their  sepulchers  of  Nineveh.  I am  glad 
you  are  going  into  the  temperance  question.  Study  your 
speeches.  Talk  methodically.  Dress  plain.  Be  earnest; 
be  holy. 

So  much  advice  I have  given  you  and  my  sheet  is  full. 
My  prayers  do  not  fail  to  go  up  for  your  welfare,  and  for 
the  dear  sisters  and  friends  in  America.  I shall  not  look 
upon  them  again  in  the  flesh.  I pray  that  I may  meet 
them  on  the  Mount  of  God. 

TO  DR.  PERKINS. 

Rev.  J.  Perkins,  D.  D. 

My  Dear  Brother:  — Yesterday  was  our  post  day, 
and  having  dispatched  some  missives  to  America,  I had 
sat  down  to  read  the  Koran,  when  not  less  to  my  joy 
than  to  my  surprise,  the  package  from  Oroomiah  was 
announced.  With  the  mercury  up  stairs  at  112°,  you 
may  believe  that  we  retreated  to  our  cool  serdab  to 
spend  an  hour  in  the  perusal  of  those  pleasant  letters. 
Your  parcel  was  thrice  welcome,  for  I had  sweet  com- 
munion thereby  with  those  dear  professors  in  my  Alma 
Mater.  How  my  heart  clings  to  Prof.  T — . That 
instructive  epistle  of  his  was  read  by  me,  I am  sure,  with 
quite  as  much  interest  as  by  yourself.  I was  glad  too  to 
see  again  that  little-bodied  but  broad-minded  Professor  of 
Zoology,  and  hear  again  the  reason  for  his  belief  in  that 
doctrine  of  a plurality  of  Adams.  lie  has  one  of  the 


LETTERS. 


191 


keenest  and  most  logical  minds  I ever  met.  How  I wish 
lie  could  take  that  trip  to  the  East  he  so  much  desires. 

We  sent  Jeremiah  up  to  Diarbekr  about  three  weeks 
ago,  and  last  post  brought  us  intelligence  from  him.  He 
had  an  interesting  visit  at  Mardin,  though  from  his  zeal 
in  making  known  the  truth,  he  was  threatened  with  banish- 
ment from  the  place.  Matters  in  Diarbekr  were  in  a less 
troubled  state  than  we  had  been  led  to  fear.  He  will 
talk  considerably  in  the  Boohtan  on  his  return.  We  need 
a work  of  grace,  here,  such  a work  as  you  have  had  in 
Oroomiah  — this  only  will  make  our  converts  zealous  and 
strong,  and  bring  opposers  to  the  foot  of  the  cross.  We 
expect  to  see  that  day ; but  if  we  die  without  the  sight, 
we  are  confident  that  the  day  will  come. 

At  present  there  is  a good  deal  of  stagnation.  Perhaps 
our  occasional  remarks  and  prayers  at  the  dispensary  are 
not  in  vain.  It  is  so  hot,  that  we  find  it  difficult  to  keep 
up  our  Wednesday  and  Saturday  evening  meetings.  We 
hold  them  on  the  roofs.  Brother  Williams  is  a statistical 
man,  and  will  no  doubt  tell  you  how  the  mercury  has 
ranged  here  thus  far  this  summer.  I hung  a thermom- 
eter in  the  sun  the  other  day,  and  the  heat  soon  snapped 
it.  I was  not  mindful  at  the  time,  that  it  was  marked  for 
only  120°.  The  mercury  has  been  above  150°  in  the  sun 
here,  and  several  days  last  week  it  stood  at  115°  in  the 
shade.  The  air  is  very  dry,  and  like  that  from  an  oven. 
I never  knew  what  power  the  sun  lias,  till  I came  to 
Mosul. 

TO  REV.  G.  W.  COAN,  GAWAR. 

Mosul,  Aug.  4th,  1852. 

Dear  Brother  Co  an  : — I hope  you  will  have  no 
more  such  deeply  interesting  intelligence  to  communicate 
as  your  last  contained.  I had  the  impression  that  Mosul 
was  the  worst  place  in  the  world ; indeed  that  was  the 
chief  reason  Dr.  Anderson  begged  me  off  from  Fuh  Chau. 
I had  consulted  with  Mr.  Merrick,  formerly  of  Oroomiah, 


192 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


about  the  nature  of  life  in  Gawar,  and  at  one  time  was 
about  to  put  in  a strong  plea  to  the  Prudential  Committee 
to  send  me  thither  instead  of  to  Mosul.  You  will  remem- 
ber, they  advertised  for  a physician  for  that  place. 

But  if  you  are  never  to  have  a house  to  live  in,  and  are 
to  have  men  shot  down  before  the  door  of  your  hut 
frequently,  I shall,  perhaps,  have  special  occasion  to  thank 
God  for  sending  me  a little  farther  to  the  south.  I got 
some  faint  idea  of  a village  in  Koordistan  in  a recent  visit 
to  Tel-Keif.  I was  called  out  there — a donkey  ride  of  about 
three  hours  — to  see  some  very  sick  persons ; and  after 
traveling  about  the  village  till  midnight,  looking  at  the 
sick  and  dying,  I stretched  myself  upon  a roof  to  sleep. 
Every  house  in  the  place  appeared  to  have  two  or  three 
wide-awake  curs,  and  their  constant  yelping,  together 
with  the  vigorous  bites  of  the  mosquitoes  and  the  fleas, 
induced  me  to  get  up  in  half  an  hour  and  start  for  Mosul. 
I suppose  Tel-Keif  is  a magnificent  place  for  Koordistan  — 
what  then  is  Gawar  ? I can  sympathize  with  you  in  your 
privations  and  trials,  and  pray  that  you  may  soon  get  a 
strong  foothold  in  that  realm  of  Satan  and  his  vicegerent 
the  Pope. 

W ould  n’t  some  of  that  snow,  piled  up  near  you,  find  a 
warm  welcome  in  Mosul  ? It  is  so  cold  to-day,  that  I 
begin  to  fear  the  summer  is  nearly  past.  I doubt  if  the 
mercury  gets  above  110° ! It  has  risen  to  115°  frequently 
of  late.  Last  night  I was  sufficiently  cool,  though  I 
suppose  the  mercury  would  have  shown  the  air  in  my 
sleeping  room  at  90°  or  93°.  The  body  becomes  very 
susceptible  to  the  influence  of  the  cold  after  being  heated 
so  tremendously  for  a month.  The  skin  is  exceedingly 
sensitive ; indeed,  a sheet  of  water  hangs  about  the  body 
all  day.  The  pores  are  all  wide  open. 

I pray  that  the  dreadful  scourge  now  sweeping  over 
the  plain  of  Oroomiah  may  not  visit  you  nor  us.  What 
fearful  havoc  it  would  make  in  this  climate.  The  cholera 
and  plague  have  done  their  dreadful  work  here  in  days 


LETTER  TO  MR.  STODDARD. 


193 


past.  The  city  is  now  becoming  restored  to  its  former 
condition,  and  for  the  sake  of  the  poor  natives,  as  well  as 
our  own,  we  pray  that  the  cholera  may  not  soon  come 
again. 

I do  not  yet  see  that  Mosul  ought  not  to  be  occupied 
by  our  Board.  There  are  some  fifty  thousand  sinners 
here,  and  though  the  work  for  the  present  must  necessa- 
rily be  slow,  it  is  destined  to  go  forward.  The  bishop  of 
the  Jacobites  forbids  his  flock  to  come  near  us,  but  they 
are  gathering  courage.  Formerly  the  Chaldean  priests 
would  not  salute  Kos  Michael  or  any  of  our  people  ; but 
now  we  are  all  on  a good  footing  with  them.  W e only 
need  a refreshing  from  on  high  to  enable  us  to  bear 
patiently  all  our  trials,  and  to  nerve  us  for  our  work. 

TO  REV.  DAVID  STODDARD,  OROOMIAH. 

Mosul,  Aug.  5th,  1852. 

Dear  Brother  Stoddard:  — I had  just  finished  all 
my  letters  for  the  messenger  but  yours,  when  Brother 
Williams  handed  me  your  very  valuable  letter  of  June 
26th.  He  wishes  to  despatch  the  postman  in  a few 
minutes,  and  though  I should  be  very  happy  to  waive  all 
ceremony,  agreeable  to  your  suggestion,  I am  unable  at 
this  time  to  write  you  a very  long  letter.  My  soul  grew 
to  you  in  America,  and  you  are  not  changed  materially,  I 
apprehend,  in  Oroomiah.  Do  you  remember  my  finding 
you  at  the  Tontine  in  New  Haven,  and  your  telling  me 
that  you  went  there  to  avoid  conversation  with  friends? 
I did  not  think  at  that  time,  I should  ever  be  settled  so 
near  you.  But  I rejoice  to  be  here,  and  to  know  that 
in  our  loneliness  we  have  the  sympathies  of  kind  friends 
beyond  the  mountains  as  Avell  as  beyond  the  seas,  who 
will  take  delight  in  trying  to  smooth  for  us  our  thorny 
way,  or  at  least  scatter  flowers  by  its  side.  There  is  no 
joy  like  that  of  Christian  communion.  u Blest  be  the  tie 
that  binds  ” us  together.  May  we  be  one  in  spirit,  as  we 
are  one  in  aim.  When  you  said  once,  “ It  is  sweet  to  be  a 
17 


194 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


missionary,”  I dropped  my  head  and  wept.  Yes,  brother, 
I find  it  so.  This  consciousness  that  we  have  followed 
our  Lord’s  will,  that  we  are  not  living  unto  ourselves  but 
unto  him  who  died  for  us  and  rose  again  — oh!  what 
better  thing  is  there  on  the  earth?  I feel  that  I have  too 
little  of  that  spirit  which  Christ  manifested  in  behalf  of 
man ; but  it  is  comforting  to  know  that  if  we  are  his,  we 
shall  one  day  awake  in  his  likeness.  The  likeness  of 
Christ ! The  same  image ! How  great  the  change ! 
How  bright  the  glory  ! It  is  enough,  then,  that  Christ  is 
ours.  We  will  toil  on  till  he  calls  us  home. 

Our  community  seems  to  be  encouraged.  I see  no 
reason  for  despondency.  We  need  to  be  filled  with  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  then  why  can’t  we  preach  the  gospel 
here  as  Peter  probably  did  on  his  way  to  Babylon  ? Per- 
haps Thomas  labored  here,  as  well  as  Jonah  — this  proves 
the  practicability  of  our  laboring  here,  does  it  not?  It 
remains  to  be  seen  whether  we  shall  be  burned  out  [by 
the  summer  heat].  I am  not  anxious  about  that.  Let  the 
Lord  direct. 

TO  REV.  J.  II.  SEELYE,  SCHENECTADY,  N.  Y. 

Mosul,  Sept.  10,  1852. 

My  ever  dear  Ciium  and  Brother  : — ...  I must 
come  to  personal  affairs  in  Mosul.  For  the  geography, 
antiquities,  &c.,  I must  refer  you  to  the  books,  premising 
that  my  ambition  to  write  some  big  thing,  has  departed. 
I am  quite  content  to  attend  to  my  appropriate  work.  If 
conversation  or  recreation  shall  enable  me  to  develop  any 
new  thing,  I will  not  despise  it ; but  my  aim  henceforth, 
by  the  grace  of  God,  shall  be  to  save  souls.  For  three 
weeks  I have  been  confined  to  my  bed,  or  at  least  to  my 
house.  At  one  time  I thought  it  probable  I should  die. 
My  mind  was  calm.  I had  come  hither  in  obedience  to  the 
call  of  God ; he  would  take  care  of  my  wife  and  child ; 
to  him  I commited  them  and  myself.  lie  has  raised  me 
up ; I hope  it  is  for  some  good  purpose  I have  been 


TWENTY-FOUR  HOURS  IN  NINEVEH. 


105 


afflicted.  Severe  exertion  brought  me  down.  A hun- 
dred patients  daily  and  a heat  of  105°  to  115°  were  too 
much.  Yesterday  was  the  first  day  since  the  23d  of  June 
that  the  mercury  did  not  go  above  100°.  Seventy-eight 
days  and  nights  oven-like  ! You  will  not  wonder  that  I 
melted.  It  is  trying  when  the  bed-clothes  burn  you,  and 
the  morning  is  more  oppressive  than  any  noon  in  Amer- 
ica. Still  we  are  happy.  Our  work  is  plenty,  and,  we 
hope,  slowly  progressing.  We  may  have  to  retreat  to 
Oroomiah  — a journey  of  nine  days  through  Dr.  Bacon’s 
Koords  — next  summer.  B}"  the  way,  the  money  they 
took  from  him  and  his  party  has  been  returned. 

Layard  gives  a fair  view  of  the  ruins  of  Nineveh.  But 
I can  not  stay  to  tell  you  my  feelings  as  I walked  through 
the  palace  of  Sennacherib.  As  a recreation,  I expect  to 
]3ay  a visit  with  Mr.  Bass  am  to  the  Sheitani  or  Devil- 
worshipers,  at  Sheikh  Adi  — three  days  distant  — in  a 
week  or  two.  This  is  a very  interesting  region  to  the 
church  historian  and  antiquary.  The  old  churches  are 
deader  than  the  gospel-dealers  were  before  Luther’s  day. 
May  a reformer  arise!  We  make  good  progress  in  the 
Arabic.  Lucy  and  Mary  are  in  excellent  health.  The  little 
one  is  a great  comfort  to  us ; she  begins  to  chatter  and 
walk  nicely.  We  have  no  occasion  to  repent  coming 
hither ; nevertheless  we  are  constantly  looking  away  from 
our  miserable  sun-burnt  abode  to  that  house  not  made 
with  hands  — that  city  whose  builder  and  maker  is  God. 

TO  HIS  BROTHER. 

Mosul,  Oct.  19th,  1852. 

Dear  Brother  Frank  : — Shall  I write  you  an  account 
of  twenty-four  hours  in  modern  Nineveh? 

The  first  business  in  the  morning  was  an  operation  for 
hemorrhoids.  Then  Deacon  Jeremiah  had  ar  friend  he 
wished  me  to  visit.  We  found  her  in  a room  about  eight 
feet  by  ten,  on  the  floor  of  course — perhaps  not  half  a 


196 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


dozen  families  in  Mosul  use  bedsteads  — all  spread  rugs  or 
coarse  mats  on  the  floor  or  ground,  and  generally  roll  them 
up  and  lay  them  away  during  the  day.  She  was  sur- 
rounded by  a dozen  women  anxious  for  her  recovery. 
She  said  she  had  a fright  in  the  night  by  the  fall  of  a 
looking-glass,  which  broke  at  her  feet.  A fright  or  hobtah 
is  the  most  common  cause  of  disease  here. 

I assured  her  of  her  speedy  restoration  to  health,  and 
wrote  a prescription  which  my  clever  assistant,  Ablahad, 
would  put  up  at  the  dispensary,  and  charging  her  not  to 
lay  the  physic  up  on  the  shelf,  left  to  accompany  Deacon 
Elias  Fuez,  (a  native  brother  from  Beyroot,  who  has  come 
to  take  Salome  thither,)  to  Koyunjik.  We  started,  and 
Thoma  and  Suleiman  donkeyed  behind  us.  A rapid  gal- 
lop soon  brought  us  through  a crowd  of  camels,  donkeys, 
and  mules,  and  piles  of  cucumbers  and  melons,  to  the 
mound.  This,  according  to  C.  J.  Rich,  formerly  English 
Consul  at  Bagdad,  is  178  feet  in  its  greatest  height,  1,850 
feet  from  east  to  west,  and  1,147  from  north  to  south. 
It  stands  about  midway  of  the  ruined  wails  of  Nineveh 
on  the  river  side,  a short  distance  north  of  Nebbi  Yunus, 
or  the  mound  of  the  prophet  Jonah.  Out  of  this  latter, 
a number  of  sculptures  have  been  taken,  and  last  week, 
in  digging  a cellar,  a large  bull  was  found.  The  Pasha,  1 
am  told,  sent  men  to  break  the  monster  in  pieces,  to  pre- 
vent the  English  and  French  from  digginginto  the  sacred 
jirecincts. 

About  thirty  men,  Jebour  Arabs  for  the  most  part,  are 
now  employed  by  the  English  in  excavating  at  Koyunjik. 
Latterly,  nothing  has  turned  up  but  blocks  inscribed  with 
cuneiform  characters.  The  western  part  of  the  mound 
has  been  pretty  thoroughly  explored,  and  trenches  are 
still  open  in  all  directions.  The  slabs  are  somewhat  in- 
jured by  exposure  to  the  air  and  water,  yet  hundreds  of 
feet  still  remain  of  the  great  halls,  that  Sennacherib  built 
for  the  satisfaction  of  his  pride.  The  large  winged  bulls 


SCULPTURES. 


197 


now  remaining  (several  have  been  removed  to  London) 
arc  cracked  and  show  the  effects  of  fire,  as  do  many  of 
the  slabs.  The  slabs  are  about  six  feet  high  and  eight 
feet  long,  and  they  line  the  halls.  Exquisitely  wrought 
sculptures  of  battle  scenes — warriors  armed  with  spears, 
bows,  arrows,  swords,  and  slings,  and  holding  the  heads 
of  victims  in  their  hands, — gigantic  deities  with  the  arms 
of  a man,  the  head  of  a dragon  and  stoutly  horned, — 
splendid  horses  led  by  grooms — swimmers  and  fish  — 
palm-trees  and  grape-vines  thick  with  clusters — captives, 
perhaps  from  Jerusalem,  tied  together  by  their  waists  or 
handcuffed; — who  would  not  wish  to  read  the  inscrip- 
tions on  the  bulls  and  learn  the  true  import  of  these  fig- 
ures ? 

These  sculptures  are  about  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  below 
the  surface,  and  in  the  mass  of  clay  above,  pieces  of  pot- 
tery, fragments  of  carved  stones,  and  pieces  of  coals  are 
sometimes  seen.  We  knocked  off  a few  specimens  of  the 
gypsum  containing  arrow-headed  characters,  and  suppose 
they  will  be  interesting  to  our  friends  in  Beyroot.  Although 
I had  visited  this  place  before,  it  had  a fresh  interest.  At 
some  future  day,  I shall  write  out,  if  I get  time,  a full 
account  of  the  ruins  and  relics. 

At  4 P.  M.  we  were  at  home,  and  I visited  the  dispen- 
sary as  usual. 

Little  Mary  has  been  suffering  some  days  with  ophthal- 
mia, and  Lucy  has  become  quite  fatigued.  All  last  night, 
we  were  much  disturbed  by  her  cries.  She  buries  her 
face  in  the  pillows,  and  sleeps  on  her  knees.  Half  the 
people  are,  sometime  or  other,  sufferers  from  this  disease. 
Many  eyes  are  entirely  lost. 

A crowd  of  patients  every  morning  sit  in  my  court,  and 
as  I mount  my  horse  for  exercise  or  visiting,  I have  gen- 
erally half  a dozen  arms  thrust  into  my  face,  that  I may 
feel  their  pulses. 

I forgot  to  mention  one  item  of  yesterday’s  doings.  A 
17  * 


198 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


Moslem  dignitary,  with  a couple  of  black  attendants,  was 
forcing  his  way  into  my  bed-room  for  medicine,  when 
Thoma  called  on  him  to  desist,  upon  which  the  dignitary 
struck  him  over  the  head.  I was  informed  of  this,  and  at 
once  sent  for  Mr.  Rassam  to  attend  to  the  matter.  He 
despatched  his  cavass  or  official  servant,  to  the  Pasha, 
who  sent  a soldier  and  imprisoned  the  Bey.  The  punish- 
ment was  left  to  my  pleasure.  There  is  no  statute  law  in 
Turkey.  Before  the  Tanzimat,  a Pasha  could  imprison 
without  any  charge  being  brought.  I thought  the  man 
had  better  reflect  on  the  fact,  that  although  we  Americans 
do  not  have  a train  of  armed  servants  around  us,  we  can 
nevertheless  have  justice  done  us ; and  so  I let  him  sleep 
in  prison  last  night.  His  relatives  came  this  morning  to 
beg  his  release. 


TO  REV.  DR.  ANDERSON. 

Mosul,  Oct.  20th,  1852. 

Rev.  R.  Anderson,  D.  D. 

My  Dear  Sir  : — Frequent  rides  outside  of  the 

walls  of  the  city,*  prepared  me  for  a visit  to  Nebbi  Yunus, 
the  village  around  the  tomb  of  our  illustrious  predecessor, 
and  now  the  theater  of  the  Pasha’s  antiquarian  researches ! 
A few  days  after,  Mr.  Williams  accompanied  me  to  Nim- 
' roud.  Shenunas  Ereemiah  (Deacon  Jeremiah)  also  went 
with  us,  that  we  might  bear  the  gospel  to  the  Jacobites 
of  Bartulli,  and  the  Syrians  of  Kara-Kosh.  The  exces- 
sive heat  and  a terrible  fright  occasioned  by  the  approach 
of  forty  mounted  Arabs  twirling  their  long  spears  and 
shouting  their  battle-cry,  while  we  were  sitting  down  in 
the  tomb  of  Sardanapalus  to  dine,  induced  us  to  mount 
our  horses  in  haste  and  turn  their  heads  towards  Mosul. 
We  thus  lost  the  opportunity  to  preach  to  the  people  in 
those  villages,  but  lioj^e  to  make  another  attempt,  as  soon 

* While  recovering  from  the  sickness  of  which  he  speaks  in  the  former  part 
of  the  letter. 


BUYING  CONVERTS. 


199 


ns  the  weather  becomes  cool  enough  to  allow  of  comfort- 
able travel. 

Much  lias  been  said  about  the  inability  of  the  Mosul- 
lees  to  understand  the  publications  of  the  Beyroot  press, 
but  so  far  as  I have  been  able  to  learn,  the  only  difficulty 
is  that  a higher  order  of  Arabic  is  employed  in  the  books, 
than  in  conversation.  Nations  of  different  Arabic  locali- 
ties have  no  difficulty  in  comprehending  each  other’s 
meaning,  when  brought  together.  I think  you  may  take 
it  as  a settled  matter,  that  the  issues  of  the  present  Arabic 
press  will  become  intelligible,  wherever  the  language  is 
spoken,  when  the  minds  of  the  people  are  a little  elevated. 
And  previous  to  that,  the  voice  of  the  living  preacher 
must  be  heard.  Dr.  Kalley  found  the  conversion  of  the 
Arabs  much  more  difficult  than  that  of  the  Portuguese. 
The  latter  could  read  already  or  were  easily  taught,  while 
the  former  have  a deep  aversion  to  study.  It  is  no  part 
of  their  education.  Of  course,  the  perusal  of  spiritual 
books  at  this  day  is  essential  to  the  progress  of  the  truth ; 
and  it  is  pleasant  to  know,  that  very  many  works  are  dis- 
posed of  even  in  Mosul.  The  city  is  a central  place,  and 
we  have  many  opportunities  to  make  ourselves  and  our 
work  known  in  the  villages  from  the  Zakho  to  the  Zab. 
A short  time  since,  three  Chaldeans  from  the  Tiyari  came 
to  us,  and  stated  that  they  had  been  deputed  by  their 
brethren,  to  come  to  Mosul  and  learn  if  it  was  true  that 
the  Americans  pay  the  salian,*  of  every  Protestant  con- 
vert, and  give  him  two  hundred  piastres  a month  besides ! 
If  so,  they  were  authorized  to  treat  for  the  capitulation 
of  their  village.  Should  we  offer  a pecuniary  inducement, 
I have  no  doubt,  that  very  soon  Protestants  would  be 
sufficiently  numerous  among  the  flocks  of  the  Jesuit  and 
Jacobite  bishops.  Paul  never  bought  anybody  to  be  a 
Christian,  and  his  example  is  safe. 


The  Aowse-tax  of  fifty  piastres  annually. 


200 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


Our  little  community  stand  together  manfully.  We 
find  more  engagedness  on  their  part  in  the  great  work, 
than  was  apparent  in  the  early  part  of  the  summer.  They 
are  beginning  to  feel  an  individual  responsibility.  The 
attendance  at  our  evening  meetings  is  considerably  in- 
creased. The  threat  of  excommunication  uttered  a few 
Sabbaths  since  by  a Chaldean  priest  against  every  mem- 
ber of  his  church,  who  should  dare  to  visit  or  to  speak 
with  the  Americans,  has  had  the  usual  effects  of  such 
attempts  ad  terrorem . Mutran  Behnam,  the  Jacobite 
Archbishop,  is  too  cunning  to  threaten  his  people  ; he 
takes  the  images  out  of  his  church,  preaches  somewhat 
evangelically,  and  thus  persuades  his  flock,  that  they  are 
sure  enough  of  salvation,  if  they  remain  in  their  own 
communion.  He  has  not  a particle  of  sincerity,  but  is 
crafty  and  resolute  in  his  efforts  to  secure  the  patriarchate. 
All  he  wants  is  office  and  money.  He  would  sell  himself  to 
us  for  ten  dollars  a month  ; indeed,  he  has  made  that  offer. 
Is  not  this  a strong  indication  that  he  fears  our  influence 
among  his  people  ? For  so  much  evidence  of  our  pros- 
perity, we  thank  God  and  take  courage. 

Shemmas  Elias  Fuez  of  the  Beyroot  church  came  here 
about  a fortnight  since  for  Salome,  who  is  soon  to  marry 
John  Wortabet  of  Hasbeiya  ; and  he  has  been  very  faith- 
ful to  our  brethren  in  his  sermons  and  conversations. 
He  has  done  us  much  good ; it  would  be  worth  a great 
deal  to  us,  if  we  had  with  us  permanently  a native  preacher 
like  him,  an  example  of  cleanliness,  ability,  and  devotion. 
The  best  way  to  convince  the  Yezidees,  Moslems,  and 
even  native  Christians  of  the  truthfulness  and  value  of 
our  Protestant  doctrines,  will  be  to  give  them  a proof  in 
the  general  thrift,  neatness,  and  honesty  of  a truly  Chris- 
tian community.  We  pray  for  such  a regeneration  as 
shall  change  the  outer  as  well  as  the  inner  man.  Let  in- 
tegrity and  industry  become  a general  characteristic  of 
Protestants  here  as  in  Aintab,  and  we  shall  not  need  to 
faint  even  with  a heat  of  115°. 


VALUE  OF  TIIE  CHRISTIAN  IIOFE. 


201 


What  work  can  be  pleasanter  than  to  instruct  and 
guide  an  ignorant  and  deluded  people  in  the  doctrines  of 
the  Bible  and  the  reformation ! Already  we  begin  to  see 
the  legitimate  effects  of  free  thought  and  bold  inquiry. 
The  shackles  are  breaking.  Pray  with  us,  that  the  liberty 
with  which  Christ  makes  his  children  free,  may  be  enjoyed 
by  all  these  priest-ridden  people.  As  a place  of  ease  and 
physical  enjoyment,  give  me  the  meanest  cottage  in  the 
most  secluded  part  of  New  England  for  a home,  in  prefer- 
ence to  the  best  palace  in  Mosul ; but  as  a spot  whereon 
to  build  a structure  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  fulfill  the 
mission  of  the  Christian,  I ask  no  better  place  than  this 
adopted  home. 

TO  REV.  W.  S.  SCOFIELD,  DANBURY,  CT. 

Mosul,  Oct.,  1852. 

My  Dear  Brother  Scofield  : — ...  Have  I told 
you  that  I was  kept  to  my  bed-room  for  three  weeks,  last 
month  ? At  one  time  I stood  very  near  the  grave.  I 
looked  into  it,  but  it  had  no  terrors.  Not  that  I felt  any 
conviction  of  my  personal  holiness.  God  knows  I feel 
myself  unfit  to  join  in  the  melodies  of  heaven.  But  I 
realized  the  preciousness  and  power  of  the  Saviour’s  blood ; 
I knew  that  I placed  my  salvation  in  it,  and  “ he  that 
believeth  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  shall  be 
saved.”  Oh,  the  infinite  value  of  faith  in  him  at  such  an 
hour ! If  the  Sultan,  the  Czar  or  Victoria  had  offered  me 
the  throne  of  empire  for  my  hope,  they  could  not  all  have 
purchased  it.  The  Christian’s  treasure  is  not  comqDtible ; 
the  bank  of  God  never  breaks  ! 

I still  live  ; but  oh ! what  is  life,  my  brother  ? It  is 
worth  little  but  as  a time  for  getting  ourselves  and  others 
ready  for  the  kingdom.  Preach  “ as  a dying  man,”  and 
let  no  blood  be  in  your  skirts  in  the  day  of  account.  Oh 
that  your  hearers,  my  townsmen,  many  of  them  my  per- 
sonal friends,  would  all  “look  to  Jesus  ” and  be  saved! 
Let  our  little  church  be  a burning  and  a shining  light ; 


202 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


it  matters  not  whether  the  wealthy  sit  in  her  seats  ; “ unto 
the  poor  the  gospel  is  preached.”  This  is  emphatically 
the  case  in  these  lands.  So  it  was  in  the  time  of  Christ 
and  his  apostles  — so  it  is  now.  Oh  the  deceitfulness  of 
riches  ! I look  over  these  multitudes  in  Mosul,  and  from 
the  rich,  proud  Moslem  Bey  down  to  the  meanest  beggar 
I see  scarcely  a descent.  If  anything,  the  lowest  part  of 
the  inclined  plane  supports  that  which  is  highest  in  the 
sight  of  the  world.  From  a higher  point  of  view,  all  are 
alike  sinners,  and  need  a Saviour’s  blood.  It  is  a law  in 
Turkey  that  has  few  exceptions,  the  larger  a man  is,  the 
more  of  a knave.  A Moslem  thinks  nothing  of  beating;  a 
Christian  any  time.  I was  called  the  other  day  to  see  a 
Christian’s  skull,  after  a Mussulman  had  given  him  a 
public  drubbing.  He  dared  not  go  to  the  Pasha  for  re- 
dress, although  in  America  such  an  act  would  subject  the 
offender  to  a year  in  the  State  prison.  True  Christianity 
prevailing  in  a community  renders  even  the  noble  by  birth 
and  wealth  respectful  towards  the  poor,  and  it  is  a matter 
of  rejoicing  that  our  country  shows  so  many  examples  of 
a consecration  of  fortune  to  the  service  of  humanity  and 
God.  ISTo  American  is  jioor  in  reality,  for  he  has  held  out 
to  him  the  light  of  life.  The  heathen  are  poor;  they 
grope  in  perpetual  darkness.  A Yezidee  woman  told  me, 
the  other  day,  she  knew  nothing  about  Christ  — the 
women  of  her  race  never  prayed  — the  men  only  once  a 
year ! What  will  you  think,  when  I say  that,  even  this 
once,  they  pray  only  to  the  Devil ! It  does  one’s  soul 
good  to  be  here  amid  so  much  sin  and  j^ollution.  The 
eye  looks  upward  to  the  everlasting  hills. 

As  for  us,  we  must  ripen  for  the  kingdom  fast.  God 
help  us  while  you  pray.  I did  not  expect  a long  life 
when  I left  America ; I am  fully  persuaded  it  will  be  a 
short  one.  But  with  the  grace  of  God  it  will  be  long 
enough ; and  then  it  will  be  so  sweet  resting  after  the 
work  is  done ! Let  such  a thought  cheer  you,  dear 
brother,  in  your  arduous  toils. 


LETTER  TO  DR.  HITCHCOCK. 


203 


TO  REV.  E.  HITCHCOCK,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  PRESIDENT  OF  AMHERST 
COLLEGE. 

Mosul,  Mesopotamia,  Nov.,  1852. 

Pres.  Hitchcock. 

My  Dear  Sir  : — By  the  last  post  I received  a letter 
from  my  cousin,  Mr.  H.  N.  Barnum,  and  in  it  he  stated 
that  you  had  requested  him  to  inquire  of  me,  if  I could  send 
some  specimens  from  the  ruins  of  Nineveh  for  the  college 
cabinet.  It  will  give  me  the  greatest  pleasure  to  select 
something  of  interest,  and  presuming  that  your  remark  to 
Mr.  B.  was  made  with  some  understanding  of  the  diffi- 
culty of  transportation,  I shall  not  hesitate  to  incur  the 
necessary  expense.  Could  I send  you  the  specimens  at 
my  own  expense,  I should  be  very  glad ; but  you  know, 
we  missionaries  are  expected  to  receive  only  what  is 
necessary  to  feed  and  clothe  us. 

I am  almost  afraid  that,  in  your  land  of  railroads,  you 
will  think  the  cost  exceeds  the  value.  Please  remember 
the  blocks  must  ride  some  five  hundred  miles  on  the  backs 
of  animals,  and  some  five  thousand  on  the  sea.  So,  as  it 
will  be  some  weeks  before  I can  get  the  loads  ready,  you 
will  do  me  a favor  by  intimating  whether  you  wish  some 
large  or  only  small  specimens.  And  yet  I think  I shall 
just  pack  up  ichat  you  ought  to  have,  and  let  you  look  to 
some  benefactor,  like  Williston,  for  the  wherewithal  to 
pay  mule-drivers  and  the  ship-captain. 

Bless  God  for  benefactors.  If  your  college  had  had  none, 
I should  not  have  been  here.  I never  shall  forget  that 
evening,  my  dear  father  in  the  gospel,  when  you  kindly 
told  me,  as  I was  about  to  leave  college  for  the  want 
of  funds,  not  to  despair  — “ some  way  will  open  ; look  to 
God  ; have  no  desire  but  to  do  his  will  and  — wait.”  I 
waited,  and  then  resolved  from  my  inmost  heart  to  preach 
the  gospel  and  trust  in  God. 

You  were  a father  to  me  in  college,  and  may  God 


204 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


reward  you  for  your  kindness.  I owe  no  man  more  than 
you.  I am  glad  the  trustees  will  not  accept  of  your  offer 
of  resignation  — you  can  not  be  spared  from  the  presiden- 
tial chair.  Your  labors  are  abundant,  but  your  reward 
will  be  proportionate.  My  pen  refuses  to  say  all  that  my 
heart  prompts  ; suffice  it  that  I acknowledge  myself  eter- 
nally indebted  to  you. 

I have  had  no  occasion  to  regret  coming  to  Mosul. 
There  is  a great  field  here,  and  it  is  whitening.  Send  us 
the  reapers. 

P.  S.  The  geology  of  this  region  is  quite  peculiar;  are 
you  acquainted  with  it? 

P.  S.  No.  2.  Jan.  1st,  1853.  This  note  was  sent  back 
from  Constantinople,  more  than  half  way  to  America,  and 
is  to  start  again  on  Monday.  The  blocks  will  be  got 
under  way  soon. 


TO  DR.  PERKINS. 

Mosul,  Nov.  3d,  1852. 

Rev.  Dr.  Perkins. 

Dear  Brother  : — After  returning  from  Sheikh-Adi, 
I was  attacked  by  a severe  cold,  and  am  still  suffering 
someyvhat  from  the  effects  of  an  inflammation  of  the  mem- 
branes surrounding  the  brain.  While  on  my  bed  the 
other  day,  I took  up  the  journal  of  the  American  Oriental 
Society,  and  it  occurred  to  me  that  I might  ask  a ques- 
tion or  two  of  you  regarding  your  article  on  a visit  to 
Mosul,  with  profit  to  myself  at  least.  I do  not  write  as  a 
reviewer,  but  as  an  inquirer.  My  first  query  is : On  the 
supposition  that  the  river  washed  the  walls  of  the  city  in 
the  days  of  its  glory,*  have  you  any  way  of  accounting 
for  the  existence  of  the  iron  clamped  dam  across  the 
Tigris  near  Nimroud.  It  seems  pretty  evident,  that  the 
dam,  the  remains  of  which  are  still  magnificent,  must 


* The  mounds  are  now  at  some  distance  from  the  hank  of  the  river. 


CAPTAIN  LOFTTJS. 


205 


have  been  made  in  order  to  turn  the  water  near  Selamiych 
over  the  plain.  It  would  have  given  great  facilities  for 
irrigation.  You  arc  aware  that  quite  a garden  lines  the 
river  now,  near  the  bend  at  the  northwest  angle  of  the 
plain.  . . . The  native  idea,  that  it  (the  dam)  was  a foot- 
path for  Nimrod  to  visit  the  Hamam  Ali,  or  Sulphur 
Springs,  the  other  side,  will  hardly  satisfy  a Yankee. 

. . . What  do  you  think  of  the  idea,  that  the  “ exceed- 
ing great  city  of  three  days’  journey,”  has  reference  to 
Jonah’s  preaching  through  the  various  streets  ? If  that 
idea  is  tenable,  Nineveh  would  have  been  large  enough 
without  Khorsabad  and  Nimroud.  Pass  over  these  queries 
as  hastily  as  you  please  in  reply,  and  allow  me  to  say,  that 
I derived  great  pleasure  from  the  perusal  of  your  journal. 

We  had  a visit  from  Mr.  Loftus  some  days  since.  I 
saw  a few  of  his  coins  from  Susa.  I suppose  you  saw 
them.  He  is  a very  pleasant  man.  lie  surely  has  a claim 
to  our  gratitude  for  his  efforts  to  benefit  our  Gawar  breth- 
ren. He  has  gone  to  investigate  the  great  Assyrian  bury- 
ing ground  near  the  confluence  of  the  Euphrates  and  the 
Tigris.  Mr.  Ilormuzd  Rassam  has  just  returned  from 
England  with  instructions  to  pursue  investigations  under 
Col.  Rawlinson’s  direction. 

Dec.  3d.  Mr.  Williams  has  gone  to  Diarbekr,  taking 
Micha  with  him.  Last  night,  about  eleven  o’clock,  our 
little  Mary  was  taken  with  a cough,  which  greatly  resem- 
bled an  attack  of  croup.  I gave  her  medicine,  and  thought 
of  your  beloved  Judith,  who  also  crossed  the  sea.  I have 
felt  much  for  you,  ever  since  I heard  of  your  daughter’s 
death,  and  I trust  my  prayers  have  been  fervent  that  God 
would  give  you  consolation.  Mary  is  better  to-day,  and 
we  hope  she  may  not  be  seriously  ill.  You  must  have 
had  a very  interesting  communion  season,  when  all  the 
members  of  your  mission  were  together.  Such  are  heav- 
enly places  in  Christ  J esus.  One  of  your  deacons  preached 
for  us  half  a day,  when  they  were  here.  We  were  pleased 
18 


206 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


with  them.  They  accompanied  brother  W.  as  far  as 
Jezireh. 

TO  RET.  J.  W.  SEELYE. 

Mosul,  Nov.  4th,  1852. 

My  Dear  Brother  J. : — I have  no  reason  and  no 
right  to  doubt,  that  in  deciding  your  course  of  life, 
you  have  had  sole  reference  to  the  question,  how  you 
can  best  promote  the  divine  glory  on  the  earth.  Your 
decision  disagrees,  indeed,  with  my  convictions ; for  no 
educational  interest  in  America  can  have,  at  present , so 
strong  a claim  upon  a preacher  of  the  gospel,  as  the  lost 
condition  of  the  heathen.  There  will  always  be  men 
enough  to  accept  posts  of  honor ; there  are  too  few  will- 
ing to  enter  places  of  secluded  toil  and  great  hardship. 
Let  the  best  scholars  of  our  colleges,  for  a single  genera- 
tion, seek  to  convert  the  heathen  to  Christ  by  direct  labors 
among  them,  and  the  time  would  not  be  distant,  when 
their  salvation  would  become  the  prominent  consideration 
of  the  church.  It  would  return  more  to  its  apostolic  char- 
acter, and,l>oth  at  home  and  abroad,  the  gospel  would 
have  free  course,  and  be  glorified.  But  you  have  not  a 
particle  of  doubt,  that  “ your  present  plans  are  in  the  line 
of  duty.”  That  is  enough  for  me. 

. . . By  the  way,  why  do  n’t  you.  have  the  “ Rational 
Pyschology  ” * put  into  German  while  at  Halle.  It  would 
flourish  better  among  the  philosophers,  surely,  than  among 
the  practical  utilitarians.  I am  convinced  it  is  a great 
work.  After  all,  Albert  Barnes  is  doing  more  for  human- 
ity in  his  simple  commentaries.  The  truth  is,  there  is  a 
great  practical  conviction  in  all  western  minds  of  the  truth 
of  Christianity.  Hegel  and  others  may  get  up  a party, 
but  they  can  not  triumph  over  the  instincts  of  an  enlight- 
ened people.  Still,  as  there  are  not  many  men  who  can 


* Dr.  Hickok’s. 


ASSYRIAN  PALACES. 


207 


philosophize,  I don’t  know  as  one  should  object  to  the 
success  of  a few ! 

What  do  you  hear  about  those  inscriptions  along  the 
supposed  route  of  the  Israelites  ? Dr.  F.,  a semi-donkey, 
of  England,  says,  they  are  Arabic,  and  proves  that  the 
Hebrews  used  that  language  in  Egypt ! 

The  arrow-headed  inscriptions  are  very  plentiful  through- 
out the  valley  of  the  Tigris,  and  there  is  every  reason  to 
suppose,  that  a complete  history  of  the  land  will  soon  be 
made  out,  and  that  it  will  confirm  the  allusions  of  the 
biblical  writers  to  the  state  of  things  before  and  subse- 
quent to  the  captivity. 

I have  visited  most  of  the  mounds,  where  excavations 
have  been  made,  and  need  only  refer  you  to  Layard 
and  Botta  for  faithful  delineations  of  the  discoveries.  I 
have  walked  through  the  palace  of  Sennacherib  at  Koy- 
unjik,  hid  in  the  tomb  of  Sardanapalus  at  Nimroud,  to 
escape  a band  of  mounted  Arabs,  gazed  on  the  majestic 
bulls  in  the  palaces  of  Pul  and  Esarhaddon,  and  taken  a 
rough  view  of  the  relics  of  the  dynasty  of  the  Khorsabad 
kings.  These  antiquities  are  deeply  interesting,  and  I 
might  write  a long  account  of  my  excursions  to  the 
mounds,  and  their  contents.  But  I choose  to  refer  you 
to  the  books,  and  to  wait  and  answer  any  special  inquiries 
you  may  wish  to  make.  At  present,  I will  only  say,  that 
a block  some  ten  by  fourteen  feet,  and  a foot  and  a half 
thick,  was  lately  discovered  at  Nimroud,  bearing  on  each 
side  a complete  record  of  the  later  dynasties  of  the  em- 
pire. The  lists  of  kings  are  complete. 

We  have  a variety  of  sects, — Jacobites,  Syrians,  Chal- 
deans, and  a few  Nestorians,  all  in  Mosul;  and  besides  these 
we  can  find  Yezidees,  or  devil-worshipers,  Koords  that  are 
sun-worshipers,  Koords  Mohammedanized,  and  a host  of 
bigoted  born  Moslems.  The  field  is  open  and  wide.  We 
have  frequent  calls  from  inquirers ; but,  of  course,  pre- 
judices are  very  strong,  especially  since  Mr.  Badger,  who 


208 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


was  here  some  two  years  ago,  did  all  he  could,  as  he 
admits  in  his  late  volumes,  to  show  the  native  Chris- 
tians, that  he  had  no  connection  with  the  Independents 
from  America,  and  that  their  faith  is  the  high  road  to 
infidelity.  His  influence  is  dying  out,  and  we  expect  to 
make  an  impression  here,  that  shall  be  permanent.  We 
have  formed  a distinct  Protestant  community,  as  the  only 
safeguard  for  our  followers  against  severe  persecution ; 
but  their  number  is  as  yet  not  more  than  twenty.  Hav- 
ing protection  from  the  English  Consul,  we  are  not  insulted 
here,  as  I was  in  Diarbekr ; and  our  great,  if  not  only 
enemy  is  — as  in  Christendom — the  carnality  of  the  heart. 
We  are  about  to  open  a book-store,  and  to  devote  our- 
selves exclusively,  if  possible,  to  getting  at  men’s  hearts. 
Every  pill  must  have  its  attendant  tract  and  appeal. 

TO  REV.  D.  STODDARD,  OROOMIAH. 

Mosul,  Dec.  3d,  1852. 

Dear  Brother  Stoddard: — We  are  not  in  the  midst 
of  a great  commotion,  nor  in  a dead  calm.  The  surface  is 
doubtless  more  quiet  than  the  depths.  People  frequently 
call  upon  us  for  the  purpose  of  conversation  on  religious 
topics,  in  spite  of  the  threats  of  excommunication  uttered 
by  their  clergy.  But  it  seems  very  hard  work  to  give  any 
of  them  a conception  of  the  true  nature  of  sin.  Religion 
is  with  them  so  much  a matter  of  business,  that  it  has  lost 
all  sacredness  ; and  I sometimes  wish  there  was  a sprink- 
ling of  infidelity  among  them,  that  we  might  be  able,  with 
God’s  help,  to  excite  an  earnestness  of  inquiry  that  should 
enlist  the  conscience  as  well  as  the  intellect.  Perhaps  you 
have  the  same  difficulty ; though  I have  been  accustomed 
to  think  the  Nestorians  more  susceptible  to  religious  emo- 
tions than  many  other  communities. 

I am  getting  more  and  more  in  love  with  these  j^eople. 
I was  a little  disappointed  when  I came  here,  having 
passed  through  Aintab  and  Diarbekr ; but  I now  feel  that 


LETTER  TO  MR.  STODDARD. 


209 


I would  not  exchange  my  place  of  labor  for  any  other  in 
the  world.  I can  but  think,  that  this  is  a center  of  great 
importance  in  relation  to  the  villages  of  the  plain. 

I have  recently  removed  my  medicines  to  my  own 
house,  and  with  the  assistance  of  Kos  Michael,  by  seeing 
each  patient  privately,  the  matter  of  salvation  is  pressed 
upon  all — Moslem,  Chaldean,  Jacobite  and  Jew.  I some- 
times see  indications  of  a solemnity  and  interest  truly  en- 
couraging. I have  sent  for  some  thousands  of  short  tracts 
from  Beyroot,  and  hope  to  use  them  to  advantage.  The 
sudden  deaths  of  brother  Sutphen  and  Mrs.  Morgan* — 
both  lovely  Christians — make  me  feel  that  what  I do  must 
be  done  quickly.  Yet  my  great  temptation  is  to  wear 
myself  out  too  fast.  What  wisdom,  as  well  as  grace,  we 
missionaries  need. 

Your  Gawar  station  is  truly  in  peril ; I am  glad,  though, 
our  brethren  returned  to  their  post — on  the  same  princi- 
ple, I suppose,  that  we  Northerners  oppose  the  observance 
of  the  fugitive  slave  law,  preferring  to  take  the penalty . 
The  command  of  Christ  to  preach  the  gospel  to  every  crea- 
ture, is  more  authoritative  than  such  an  order  as  our 
brethren  received  from  the  corrupt  Turks.  And  then, 
too,  they  do  not  violate  the  conditions  of  their  firman.  I 
suspect  you  will  see  pretty  clearly  from  this  matter  the 
necessity,  brothers  Williams  and  Marsh  were  under,  of 
forming  a Protestant  community. 

Mr.  Loftus  desired  a kind  remembrance  to  the  Ameri- 
cans over  the  hills.  He  went  to  Baghdad,  but  was  forced 
by  the  Arabs  to  abandon  his  design  of  excavating  in  the 
great  Assyrian  burying  ground  near  Hillah.f  He  has  left 
for  England. 

Your  account  of  your  astronomical  observations^  was 

* The  former  was  his  fellow-voyager;  the  latter  was  at  Malta  when  he  ar- 
rived there. 

t In  1854,  he  resumed  and  completed  the  exploration  of  Warka,  and  found  it 
to  be  indeed  “ a vast  cemetery.”  See  Travels  in  Chaldea  and  Susiana,  chap.  XIV 
t Mr.  Stoddard  found  the  air  so  clear,  that  he  could  seethe  satellites  of  Jupitef 
with  the  naked  eye,  and  communicated  the  fact  to  Sir  J.  Herschel. 

18* 


210 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


very  interesting.  I shall  he  trying  my  eyes  here.  What 
philosophical  difficulty  is  there  in  our  low  position  ? Your 
letter  to  Sir  J.  Herschel,  I have  no  doubt,  will  be  appre- 
ciated by  him  and  by  the  world. 

Mr.  Dunmore  is  back  to  his  post,  and  says  he  hopes 
good  from  the  new  Pasha. 

TO  HIS  BROTHER. 

Mosul,  Dec.  8th,  1852. 

Dear  Brother  Frank: — I promised  in  my  last  letter 
to  our  mother,  to  give  you  by  next  post  some  account  of 
a recent  trip  to  Tel  Keif.  This  is  a large  village  of  Chal- 
deans— papal  Nestorians  — about  nine  miles  north  of 
Mosul,  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  I was  sent  for  to 
visit  the  sick  wife  of  the  Kiayah , or  mayor  of  the  town. 
Some  successful  powders  that  I left  there,  have  given  me 
quite  as  large  a reputation  for  medical  ability  as  I care  to 
have  cherished.  Almost  daily  some  one  calls  on  me  from 
that  place  for  medicine,  and  I have  the  satisfaction  of 
being  the  means  of  removing  the  great  prejudice  of  the 
people  against  the  Protestants,  whose  fame  has  spread  all 
over  the  plain. 

Arrived  at  Tel  Keif,  the  black-faced  Kiayah  embraced 
me  with  quite  as  much  warmth  as  I desired,  and  respect- 
fully saluting  Jeremiah,  who  accompanied  me,  and  for 
whom,  as  a Protestant,  he  had  long  entertained  the  great- 
est contempt,  he  led  us  by  an  entrance  common  to 
horses,  donkeys  and  women,  into  his  wife’s  sick  room.  I 
could  see  nothing  but  “ the  blackness  of  darkness  ” at  first, 
but  at  length,  by  the  aid  of  a dim  taper  and  the  uncovered 
holes  in  the  wall,  I discovered  her,  lying  on  the  mat,  and 
surrounded  by  about  a score  of  sorrowing  women.  The 
people  now  crowded  in,  and  crammed  the  whole  place. 
As  soon  as  I touched  the  woman’s  pulse  and  saw  her  eye, 
I promised,  if  God  will,  (a  phrase  always  used  here  on  such 
occasions,  and  indeed  on  all  occasions  of  doubt,  without  a 


TEL  KEIF. 


211 


thought  of  God,)  to  restore  her.  She  had  had  extreme 
unction  performed  the  evening  previous,  and  the  oil  was 
still  visible,  accomplishing  its  sanctifying  work!  A priest 
was  on  hand,  also,  and  seemed  quite  vexed  at  my  determi- 
nation to  save  the  husband  the  necessity  of  giving  him  a 
thousand  piastres  for  prayers  over  her  soul,  after  she  had 
given  it  forth  to  God. 

A consumptive  man  who  was  present  drew  from  me 
the  remark,  that  his  business  henceforth  was  to  “ look  unto 
Jesus.”  The  people  expressed  their  approbation,  though 
the  priest  might  have  advised  a different  resort. 

I was  soon  moving  through  the  muddy  streets,  and  en- 
tering the  dark  huts  of  the  poor  villagers,  dispensing  pills 
and  papers  with  an  unsparing  hand.  Some  invoked  the 
peace  of  God  upon  me,  some  the  blessings  of  the  Virgin, 
and  all  were  profuse  in  their  demonstrations  of  respect. 

A wealthy  Christian  is  always  known  here  by  the  coins 
and  ornaments  on  the  head,  neck,  wrists,  and  ancles  of  his 
daughter.  I had  been  prescribing  for  several  in  the  family 
of  such  a man,  and  was  so  tormented  with  the  jargon  of 
salaams,  blessings,  and  prayers  for  the  increase  of  my  pos- 
terity, {house,  as  they  call  it,)  that  I determined  to  see 
what  idea  the  people  had  of  a prayer.  One  woman 
begged  me,  for  the  VirgirHs  sake,  to  give  her  physic.  I 
asked  her  why  she  did  not  say,  for  Jesus’  sake.  This  was 
beyond  her  depth.  “Which  is  the  greater,”  I asked,  “Je- 
sus or  Mary  ? ” “ Why,  the  Virgin,  of  course ; she  is  his 

mother .”  “Who  is  greatest,  Yesua  (Jesus),  Miriam 
(Mary),  or  Allah  (God)?”  “Mary  and  the  Father  are 
greater  than  Christ.”  “ How  are  you  to  be  saved  from 
your  sins  ? ” “ By  prayers  to  the  Virgin.”  uI?i  the  blood 

of  Christ  alone”  I told  her,  to  the  great  astonishment  of 
the  priest-ridden  crowd. 

I wanted  to  return  to  Mosul  before  night,  but  the  Ida- 
yah  seized  me,  after  the  fashion  of  the  land,  around  the 
body,  and  stay  I must.  After  eating  awhile  upon  chickens 


212 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


and  bread,  with  the  aid  of  fingers  and  a lamp,  burning  oil 
of  sesame,  I sat  down  for  a little  kaif, \ or  pleasure.  Jere- 
miah preached  Christ  to  the  crowd,  and  I explained  the 
mystery  of  inoculation,  and  “ the  mystery  of  iniquity.” 

About  nine  o’clock,  the  men  dipped  their  rag  tapers 
into  the  cup  of  black  oil,  (like  “ the  vessels  ” of  “ the  ten 
virgins,”)  lighted  them,  and  started  through  the  rain  and 
darkness  to  their  homes.  I lay  down  with  my  clothes  on, 
not  to  sleep  nor  to  dream  — but  to  scratch ! What  a liv- 
ing sacrifice ! What  filth  ! What  fleas  ! 

In  the  morning,  I gave  the  great  crowd  of  applicants 
on  the  roof  the  needed  medicine,  and  having  taken  a 
second  look  at  the  mayor’s  wife,  started  for  home.  You 
will  find  a specimen  of  Tel  Keif  officials  in  the  first  vol- 
ume of  Layard.  The  drunken  Kiayah  who  honored  him , 
has  given  place  to  my  host. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


Excursion  to  Sheikh  Adi,  the  seat  of  the  Yezidees,  or  Devil-worshipers  — Their 
number  — Called  Heathen  — Baadri  — Hussein  Bey  — White  Garments  — 
Cleanliness — English  Consul  — Convent  near  Al-Kosh  — The  Monks  — The 
Jereed,  and  the  Shaking  of  the  Spear  — Bozan,  the  Place  of  Gathering  for 
the  General  Judgment  — Spirit-rappings  — The  Butcheries  of  Beder  Khan 
Bey  — Sunday  — The  Locality  — Ceremonies  — The  Dance  — Baptism  of  Chil- 
dren— The  Temple  — Doctrines  — Sheikh  Adi,  the  Good  Principle  — Melek 
Taoos  the  Evil— His  Symbol,  a Peacock — A Breakfast  with  Sheikh  Nasir 
— Reverence  Satan  — Adore  the  Sun  — Relic  of  Sabeanism  — Schools,  &c., 
at  Mosul. 

D*  October,  1852,  Dr.  Lobclell  made  an  excursion  to 
Sheikh  Adi,  the  seat  of  the  Sheitani,  or  devil-worshipers. 
While  he  was  on  the  ground,  he  wrote  brief  notes  to  Dr. 
Perkins  and  Mr.  Coan,  giving  some  account  of  the  cere- 
monies at  their  annual  festival.  In  December,  he  pre- 
pared a fuller  narrative  of  his  journey  and  observations, 
for  the  Mission  House  in  Boston ; and  in  January,  1853, 
he  forwarded  to  his  brother  a minute  and  graphic  journal 
of  the  excursion,  which  was  published  in  successive  num- 
bers of  the  New  York  Tribune.  The  last,  though  very 
interesting,  is  too  long  for  these  pages.  The  letter  to  the 
Mission  House  will  occupy  the  present  chapter.  We 
have,  however,  taken  the  liberty  to  insert  a paragraph  or 
two  of  special  interest,  from  the  columns  of  the  Tribune. 

Mosul,  Dec.  20tli,  1852. 

Rev.  R.  Anderson,  D.  D. 

Dear  Sir  : — I intended  to  give  you  a few  particulars 
of  a visit  which  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  our  station 
made  with  myself  to  the  Shrine  of  the  Yezidees,  the  first 
week  in  October,  soon  after  our  return ; but  the  pressure 
of  more  important  matters  prevented.  The  heat  of  sum- 


214 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


mer  had  begun  to  abate,  and  we  were  all  so  prostrated 
with  general  debility,  that  a short  journey  to  the  moun- 
tains of  Koordistan  seemed  no  less  a duty  than  a pleasure. 

I had  previously  come  in  connection  with  some  of  the 
reputed  devil-worshipers  medically,  and  hoped  that  the 
opportunities  I should  have  for  free  intercourse  with  the 
political  and  religious  chiefs  of  the  hundred  thousand  of 
these  people,  a great  number  of  whom  assemble  at  Sheikh 
Adi  in  the  time  of  their  annual  festival,  would  enable  me  to 
form  some  definite  opinion  with  regard  to  their  religious  ob- 
servances. I desired  a sight  of  the  heathen , as  the  Mosul- 
leans  allow  us  to  call  the  Yezidees.  The  Moslems  and 
nominal  Christians  of  Turkey  deem  themselves  the  pos- 
sessors of  the  whole  truth  of  God,  and  they  have  often 
asked  me  why  I came  to  teach  them,  when  their  neigh- 
bors need  the  instruction,  which  they  do  not.  In  this  brief 
account  of  my  visit  I can  state  but  few  of  many  facts, 
which  show  that  the  Yezidees  form  a connecting  link  be- 
tween the  idolater  and  the  Moslem,  and  that  they  differ 
much  less  from  the  Nezrani*  than  the  pride  of  the  latter 
is  willing  to  acknowledge. 

W e left  Mosul  about  daybreak,  on  Friday,  the  last  day 
of  September,  and  after  a wearisome  ride  over  the  plain 
in  a northeast  direction,  arrived  at  Baadri,  the  residence 
of  Hussein  Bey,  the  political  head  of  the  Yezidees,  to  re- 
ceive the  respectful  salutations  of  some  hundreds  of  his 
people,  before  the  hot  sun  sank  behind  the  distant  Sinjar 
hills  across  the  Tigris.f 

The  officials  kissed  our  hands  and  treated  us  with  the 
greatest  attention.  The  white  garments  of  the  people  at 
once  struck  our  notice.  Their  horror  of  blue , of  lettuce, 
and  of  bamiyeh , their  reverence  for  the  name  of  Satan,  the 

* Nazarenes.  So  Christians  are  called  in  the  East. 

t A good  description  of  this  prince  can  be  found  in  Layard’s  Nineveh  and  its 
Remains,  vol.  l,p.  227.  Indeed,  his  reliable  account  of  the  opinions  and  practices 
of  the  Yezidees  supersedes  all  necessity  for  a lengthy  detail  of  the  events  of  my 
visit. 


TIIE  CONVENT  AT  AL-KOSII. 


215 


peculiar  cut  of  tlicir  garments,  — all  crescent-shaped  at 
the  neck,  — their  love  of  streams  of  water,  and  their  ap- 
parent regard  for  each  other,  were  soon  observable. 

The  next  day  I breathed,  for  the  first  time  within  five 
months,  a bracing  atmosphere  that  reminded  me  of  the 
breezes  of  New  England.  The  western  face  of  the  moun- 
tains from  Jesireh  to  Baasheika  is  skirted  with  the  villages 
of  these  people ; and  my  observations  go  to  confirm  the 
statement,  that  cleanliness  is  half  of  their  religion.  They 
may  have  rags,  but  these  are  pretty  sure  to  be  clean. 
Whereas  the  Moslems  and  Christians  through  the  moun- 
tains appear  to  consider  filthiness  the  essence  of  household 
felicity. 

The  English  Consul  and  his  wife  had  joined  us  at  Tel 
Keif,  and  he  accompanied  me,  at  my  desire,  to  Rabban 
Hormuzd,  the  Chaldean  convent  near  Al-Kosh,  which  is 
about  three  hours  west  of  Baadri.  Hussein  Bey  led  the 
van  with  his  retinue  of  spearsmen  with  gay  abbas , long 
spears,  shining  daggers,  and  greasy,  braided  locks,  as  an 
escort  of  honor.  At  short  intervals,  we  met  troops  of  his 
people  in  their  Sunday,  or,  rather,  festive  “ suits.”  All 
eagerly  seized  and  kissed  their  chieftain’s  hand.  It  was 
pleasant  to  witness  their  affection  for  their  young  pa- 
triarch, who  traces  his  ancestry  back  to  the  Sassanian 
dynasty.  The  men  all  carried  guns,  and  the  women  gene- 
rally had  a kettle  or  a baby  on  their  backs. 

We  reached  the  convent  by  a precipitous  ascent,  and 
forty  monks  came  out  to  proffer  us  coffee,  fruit,  and  wine. 
Kos  Elisha  generously  showed  us  the  coarse  pictures  of 
the  chapel,  the  sanctum  sanctorum  hung  with  images  of 
female  saints,  and  the  graves  of  the  Chaldean  patriarchs. 
Some  of  them  were  more  than  five  hundred  years  old. 
From  one  of  the  tombs,  Hussein  Bey  desired  to  take  a 
little  of  the  sacred  dust  celebrated  for  its  febrifuge  prop- 
erties. A tall,  gaunt  monk  handed  him  some  with  all  the 
gravity  imaginable.  Every  sect  in  those  regions  vene- 


216 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


rates  the  saints  of  every  other  sect;  Moslems,  in  time  of 
famine,  have  been  known  to  come  in  crowds  to  Christian 
priests,  and  beg  them  to  offer  prayers  to  their  sacred  dead 
for  the  return  of  plenty.  The  next  month  they  would 
not  hesitate  to  bury  their  daggers  in  Christian  hearts  for 
the  propagation  of  the  faith. 

We  took  dinner  with  the  head  of  the  convent,  who  was 
quite  liberal  with  his  new  fruits  and  old  liquors.  He  ex- 
pressed great  indignation  at  the  Italian  emissaries  for 
their  attempts  to  introduce  the  Latin  liturgy  into  their 
churches,  which  have  hitherto  made  use  of  the  dead  Chal- 
dee. They  are  endeavoring  to  establish  a school  in  Mosul 
for  the  instruction  of  youth  in  the  forms  of  the  popish  ser- 
vice ; but  it  is  not  expected  they  will  teach  the  embryo 
priests  the  Latin  as  a language.  If  they  can  only  read  it, 
as  the  priesthood  now  do  the  language  of  their  fathers,  so 
as  to  hide  truth  from  the  j>e°ple’s  eyes,  that  will  be 
enough. 

The  impression  I got  of  these  monks  of  Rabban  Hor- 
muzd  was  that  which  I have  received  of  the  priesthood 
in  general  in  this  country, — they  have  resorted  to  the 
convent  chiefly  as  a means  of  livelihood.  They  thus 
avoid  taxes,  and  when  they  go  among  the  people,  are 
honored  with  the  salutation  of  “ Rabbi,  Rabbi.”  The 
priests  wield  a tremendous  power  in  this  part  of  Turkey. 
True,  it  diminishes,  as  the  light  of  truth  spreads,  but  the 
darkness  is  very  thick — so  thick,  we  feel  it.  Whenever 
I have  asked  the  question  in  Mosul,  whether  of  a Papist 
or  Jacobite,  if  he  supposes  a single  priest  in  the  city 
sought  his  office  to  benefit  the  people,  I have  invariably  re- 
ceived the  answer  — no.  It  would,  therefore,  be  too 
charitable  to  suppose  that  the  monks  of  the  mountains  all 
go  through  their  long  prayers  from  any  dee})  conviction 
of  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin ; though  it  is  possible, 
some  of  them  at  times  feel  the  necessity  of  having  their 
iniquities  forgiven  from  some  quarter.  I could  not  help 


SPIRIT-11  A PriJN  O s. 


217 


fooling  a special  desire  to  teach  one  or  two  of  the  inquisi- 
tive among  them  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life,  especially 
when  I remembered  that  our  two  most  efficient  native 
assistants  were  formerly  members  of  the  same  convent. 
Ivos  Elisha  presented  me  a cane  as  we  left,  little  thinking 
that  I was  one  of  those  hideous  Americans,  whose  Protes- 
tant movements  had  borne  terror  even  to  his  eyrie  in  the 
mountain. 

On  our  return  from  Rabban  Ilormuzd  to  Baadri,  we 
were  joined  by  the  red-robed  chief  of  the  Deuideh  and 
his  train  ; and  the  plain  we  were  crossing  afforded  a fine 
opportunity  for  the  skillful  horsemen  to  play  the  jereed. 
As  they  darted  swiftly  past  us  to  the  acting  enemy,  I en- 
joyed a sight  of  that  expressive  “ shaking  of  the  spear,” 
at  which  “ leviathan  laugh  eth”  At  Bozan,  we  saw  the 
place  of  gathering  at  the  general  resurrection,  according 
to  the  creed  of  this  jieople.  The  immense  plain,  stretch- 
ing north,  west  and  south,  would  indeed  furnish  a grand 
theater  for  judgment.  A score  of  places,  where  angels  had 
sat  conversing  with  their  prophets,  were  distinguished  by 
conical  piles  of  burnt  gyj)sum,  about  three  feet  high,  hav- 
ing a square  hole  near  the  top  looking  toward  the  south, 
and  a sort  of  altar  at  the  base,  for  the  nightly  lamp.  I 
afterwards  saw  “the  man  in  black,”  who  holds  direct 
communication  between  Sheikh  Nasir,  the  religious  head 
of  the  Yezidees,  and  his  Satanic  Majesty.  The  doctrine 
of  spirit-rappings  is  not  so  new,  as  some  of  you  Americans 
suppose.  The  devil-worshipers  here  have  as  good  reason 
for  their  belief  in  the  messages  which  this  go-between 
brings  from  the  spirit  land,  as  the  spiritualists  in  America 
have  for  the  messages  of  their  mediums.  The  simple- 
hearted  devil-worshipers  here  are  far  less  bound  to  the 
observance  of  the  principles  of  the  inductive  philosophy, 
than  the  seers  of  Rochester  and  Stratford.  Before  the 
latter  sneer  at  their  brethren  in  this  quarter  of  the  world, 
let  them  look  at  home.  The  same  kind  of  credulity  that 
19 


218 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


has  made  these  people  adopt  their  curious  religious  notions, 
is  working  among  spiritualists  and  free  thinkers  in  Amer- 
ica ; it  will  not  be  strange  if  they  come  to  adopt,  in  many 
respects,  a system  like  that  of  the  Persian  Magi.  God  will 
then  be  a fire  ; the  stars  his  manifested  essence ; the  uni- 
verse a machine  played  with  by  lawless  spirits. 

The  sun  was  just  setting,  when  we  returned  to  Baadri, 
and  the  shepherds  were  leading  their  immense  flocks 
from  the  hills  to  their  folds.  All  carried  arms.  The 
Koord  and  the  Arab  respect  no  right  but  that  of  might, 
any  more  than  the  Czar  or  the  House  of  Hapsburg.  The 
shades  of  evening  cast  a wild  gloom  over  fort  and  tree 
and  plain  ; a silence  disturbed  only  by  the  bleating  of 
the  flocks  and  the  sullen  growl  of  the  watch-dogs  on  the 
roofs.  A few  years  since,  this  quiet  spot  was  the  scene  of 
a butchery  of  the  most  horrid  kind.  The  cruel  Koord  has 
found  the  Sultan,  influenced  by  England,  too  strong  for 
him  ; and  it  is  hoped  the  world  will  never  again  hear  of 
such  atrocities  as  those  of  Beder  Khan  Bey. 

Sunday  was  a clear  and  beautiful  day,  but  too  little  like 
a Christian  Sabbath  ! W omen  washing  the  garments  of 
their  lords  in  the  brooks,  shepherds  watching  their  flocks, 
men  gathering  cotton,  and  all  regardless  of  the  sanctity 
of  the  day.  The  Yezidees  observe  no  day  of  the  week  as 
holy  time . The  women  do  not  wash  on  Wednesday , but 
labor  of  other  kinds  is  not  omitted.  Their  religious  festi- 
vals are  regarded  with  the  greatest  respect;  but  even 
these,  as  I shall  have  occasion  to  show,  are  destitute  of 
any  observances  which  to  a western  mind  have  any 
resemblance  to  true  religious  worship,  unless  it  be  the 
adoration  of  His  Satanic  Highness. 

W e read  the  episcopal  service  * and  a sermon,  but  were 
constantly  annoyed  with  calls  from  the  officials ; I thought 
of  the  Sabbaths  and  sanctuaries  of  my  native  land  — the 
great  and  silent  congregation,  the  devotion,  the  intellect- 

* Thus  uniting  with  the  English  Consul. 


THE  WORSHIP. 


219 


ual  repast,  the  solace  of  the  gospel  of  peace,  the  warnings 
of  a coming  judgment.  Oh,  when  shall  this  remnant  of 
the  Sabean  fire-worshipers  have  such  opportunities  as 
Christendom  affords,  for  learning  the  will  of  God  ! Here 
they  live  from  generation  to  generation,  a changeless  peo- 
ple, reverencing  faint  symbols  of  the  Almighty,  but  never 
offering  him  a tribute  of  thanksgiving ; adopting  exagger- 
ated notions  about  Christ  and  Mohammed,  but  choosing, 
in  the  main,  the  path  of  their  fathers,  though  it  leads  to 
destruction. 

From  Baadri,  on  Monday  morning,  we  were  four  hours 
reaching  Sheikh  Adi.  The  French  Consul  had  joined  us 
Sunday  evening ; and  with  about  forty  horsemen,  armed 
to  the  teeth,  bound  to  the  scene  of  the  festival,  our 
entrance  by  a narrow  defile  upon  the  holy  ground  was 
made  in  considerable  state.  The  multitude  of  trees,  the 
babbling  brooks  and  conical  temples  on  square  pedestals, 
though  giving  forth  but  a very  “ dim  religious  light,”  were 
grateful  sights  to  eyes  that  had  seen  no  green  thing  for 
half  a year. 

It  was  estimated  that  about  five  thousand  were  present 
on  our  arrival.  Soon  the  worship  opened.  The  whole 
valley  is  holy  ground.  Chiefs  and  people  trod  its  terraces 
with  naked  feet.  We  foreigners  were  allowed  some  liber- 
ties. A large  circle  of  men  was  formed  beneath  the  mul- 
berry before  our  hovel,  and  shufiled  their  rough  feet  upon 
the  rough  pavement  to  a solemn  tune  upon  tambourine 
and  fife,  turning  one’s  thoughts  to  the  days  of  the  Sweet 
Singer  of  Israel.  The  timbrel,  which  is  in  common  use  in 
the  Moslem  and  Christian  villages,  is  never  used  at  these 
festivals.  This  dance  was  repeated  every  afternoon  for  five 
days.  It  is  deemed  a shame  for  females  to  join  in  it,  unless 
at  very  special  request.  What  has  woman  to  do  with  wor- 
ship ? The  shrill  tcihlehl  would  now  and  then  set  the  circle 
into  a perfect  frenzy.  Every  morning,  mothers  brought 
their  naked  children  for  baptism  to  the  holy  fountain, 


220 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


whose  waters,  some  of  the  priests  tell  the  Moslems,  have  a 
secret  connection  with  the  Zemzem  of  Mecca.  The  Jca- 
wahls  receive  a fee  for  this  service.  The  offerings  made  at 
the  shrines  of  Sheikh  Adi  were,  for  the  most  part,  blankets 
and  rugs,  the  offerers  of  which  threw  them  over  their  heads 
and  were  followed  with  a terrible  clattering  of  tambour- 
ines to  the  temple.  Over  the  western  face  of  this  build- 
ing were  numerous  figures,  aj>parently  hieroglyphical,  the 
import  of  which  not  even  the  priests  understand.  Ser- 
pents, shepherds’  crooks,  sharp-beaked  birds,  coarse  combs, 
and  various  other  objects  were  represented  — possibly  the 
work  of  an  impious  builder,  but  probably  significant  of 
doctrines  in  their  creed. 

We  took  off  our  shoes  as  we  entered  the  coarse,  dark 
room,  where,  every  night  during  the  festival,  were  music 
and  dancing  before  MeleJc  Taoos , King  Peacock,  or  the 
deviVs  image  as  one  of  the  Sheikhs  privately  informed  me. 
The  shyness  of  strangers,  generally  remarked  of  them  by 
travelers,  seemed  entirely  removed  towards  us ; doubt- 
less owing  to  the  consular  interference  of  Mr.  Rassam 
with  the  government  in  their  behalf.  Sheikh  Kasir,  the 
religious  head  of  the  tribe,  declared  to  me  that  the  tomb 
in  the  temple  was  that  of  Sheikh  Adi,  probably  the  Adee, 
a disciple  of  Manes,  and  not  Mar  Adi,  or  the  Apostle  Thad- 
deus,  as  some  have  thought.  In  the  minds  of  the  people, 
Sheikh  Adi  and  God,  or  the  Good  Principle,  are  nearly 
synonymous.  They  attribute  to  him  omnipresence,  om- 
nipotence, and  the  other  attributes  of  Deity  ; but  are  gen- 
erally willing  to  admit  his  inferiority  to  the  one  eternal 
Being.  In  this  respect  Sheikh  Adi  bears  some  analogy 
to  the  Christ  of  Christianity,  but  more  with  the  Good 
Principle  of  the  Manichees.  Their  doctrines  are  a motley 
mixture  of  Mohammedanism  and  Christianity  with  the 
philosojihy  of  the  older  Persians.  Ever  suspicious  of 
inquirers,  they  try  to  answer  them  in  the  way  that  will 
least  offend.  They  are  all  things  to  all  men,  that  they 


Til E SACKED  FIRE. 


221 


may  save  themselves  and  their  rites.  In  private,  I 
found  the  priests  quite  communicative,  especially  after  an 
emetic  and  some  arrack  had  restored  a man  to  his  senses 
whom  hundreds  supposed  to  be  in  the  last  hour  of  life. 
Their  thanksgiving  and  presents  seemed  to  indicate  a 
willingness  to  tell  me  all  they  knew. 

It  is  very  seldom,  that  Moslems  or  Christians  reside  in 
the  villages  of  the  Yezidees.  Each  village  has  its  house 
at  Sheikh  Adi,  a stone  structure,  some  ten  or  fifteen  feet 
square,  with  a flat  mud  roof,  in  which  they  deposit  their 
valuables  and  their  sick  at  the  time  of  the  feast.  The 
greatest  part  of  the  pilgrims  lie  in  the  open  air  along  the 
sides  of  .the  mountains,  which  shut  in  all  but  a narrow 
entrance.  Each  company  at  night  had  its  flaming  torch, 
and  the  jewelled  hills  flashed  with  their  numerous  lights. 
Every  new  comer  fired  his  gun,  as  soon  as  he  came  in  sight 
of  the  temple.  The  hum  of  music,  tramping  and  conver- 
sation scarcely  died  away  at  night,  before  the  sun  lifted  his 
burning  head  upon  the  clean-dressed  multitude  that 
adored  his  beams.  Whenever  a priest  appeared  with  a 
torch,  they  would  pass  their  hands  through  the  flame  and 
reverentially  kiss  the  blocks  of  stone  around  the  shrines, 
where  their  respected  leaders  had  placed  the  sacred  fire. 
Every  family  brought  a meat  offering  to  Sheikh  Adi. 
This  was  generally  a sheep.  The  animals  are  thrust  into 
an  immense  cauldron,  and  every  morning  each  head  of  a 
household  receives  a share  of  the  sacrifice.  The  surplus, 
with  the  baptismal  fees  and  voluntary  contributions,  go  into 
the  purse  of  Hussein  Bey,  who  is  expected  generously  to 
provide  for  the  needy  among  his  people.  I am  glad  to 
say,  that  their  confidence  in  him  is  not  misplaced. 

Mr.  Rassam  and  myself  took  breakfast  with  Sheikh 
Nasir  and  the  other  dignitaries  one  morning.  A “ bless- 
ing ” was  asked  by  a Jcawahl , who  cried  at  the  top  of  his 
voice  in  Ivoordish,  their  usual  language,  “ Now  let  us  cele- 
brate the  feast  of  our  glorious  Sheikh  Adi.”  Large  cop- 
19  * 


222 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


per  dishes  of  meat  and  vegetables  were  passed  first  to  the 
priests  and  “ great  men,”  and  after  that  to  the  crowds  of 
hungry  bystanders.  We  ate  meat,  of  course,  with  our 
fingers,  and  soup,  rice  and  lebn , or  sour  milk,  with  rough 
wooden  spoons.  We  were  then  expected  to  partake  of 
tobacco  smoke  and  coffee. 

Our  Mosul  party  were  quite  pleased  to  see  the  apparent 
regard  the  two  head  chiefs  paid  their  half  dozen  wives. 
Polygamy  is  common  among  them.  Among  all  sects  in 
Turkey,  woman  is  considered  as  the  servant  of  her  hus- 
band. It  is  a great  shame  in  Mosul  for  a woman  to  learn 
to  read ; but  the  Yezidees  go  farther,  and  count  it  a dis- 
grace for  a man  to  learn ! Not  half  a dozen  men  among 
their  one  hundred  thousand  can  write  their  names.  It 
seems  to  be  thought  necessary  that  a very  few  should 
know  howto  read  and  write,  that  the  covetous  world  may 
not  cheat  them,  and  that  the  fragments  of  their  religious 
books  may  be  preserved.  They  seldom  take  a note  for 
money  loaned,  and  their  honesty  far  surpasses  that  of 
their  neighbors. 

They  greatly  dislike  to  be  called  Sheitani , though  more 
from  regard  to  the  honor  of  Satan  than  their  own  shame. 
To  take  his  name  in  vain  is  unpardonable  sacrilege ! 
That  they  worship  the  devil,  is  to  them  a glory.  God  is 
too  good  to  need  propitiating ; and  they  see  no  reason 
why,  if  the  bad  kings  of  this  world  receive  reverence,  His 
Satanic  Majesty  should  not  also ! 

Sheikh  Nasir  candidly  admitted  that,  according  to  their 
theology,  none  have  a certainty  of  salvation  but  the  disci- 
ples of  Sheikh  Adi  and  Melek  Taoos  — all  others  are  left 
to  the  uncovenanted  mercies  of  God ! They  traditionally 
hold  to  the  great  facts  of  the  Biblical  history,  though 
under  very  distorted  forms  — forms  that  show  how  impos- 
sible it  is  for  tradition  to  do  more  than  convey  a dim  inti- 
mation of  the  truth.  One  of  the  chief  priests  related  to 
me  the  following  account  of  the  origin  of  the  devil’s  appel- 
lation — Melek  Taoos . 


WORSHIP  OP  SATAN. 


223 


When  Christ  was  on  the  cross  in  the  absence  of  his 
friends,  the  devil,  in  the  fashion  of  a dervish,  came  and 
took  him  down  and  carried  him  to  heaven.  Soon  after 
the  Marys  came,  and  seeing  their  Lord  gone,  inquired  of 
the  dervish  where  lie  was.  They  would  not  believe  his 
answer,  but  promised  to  do  so  if  he  would  take  the  pieces 
of  a cooked  chicken,  from  which  he  was  eating,  and  bring 
the  animal  to  life.  He  agreed  to  do  so,  and  bringing  back 
bone  to  his  bone  — the  cock  crew!  The  dervish  then 
announced  his  real  character,  and  they  expressed  their 
astonishment  by  a burst  of  adoration.  Having  informed 
them  that  he  would  henceforth  always  appear  to  them  in 
the  shape  of  a beautiful  bird,  he  departed.  The  peacock 
(i taoos ) was  henceforth  chosen  as  their  chieftain’s  symbol ; 
and  the  Deity,  if  not  the  Sun  also,  was  forced  to  give  way 
in  the  Sabean  system  to  the  Prince  of  Hell.  It  is  easy  to 
see,  in  the  above  myth,  some  features  of  the  gospel  story 
of  Joseph’s  laying  the  body  of  the  Saviour  in  a sepulcher, 
the  approach  and  inquiry  of  the  women,  the  answer  of  the 
angels,  the  trial  of  Peter  at  the  crowing  of  the  cock,  the 
appearance  of  Christ  among  his  disciples,  and  the  exclam- 
ation of  Thomas,  “ My  Lord  and  my  God ! ” 

The  cock-shaped  brazen  symbols  of  Satan  stand  on 
pedestals  a foot  high,  and  are  occasionally  taken  from 
village  to  village  by  the  priests.  They  are  sacred,  as  was 
the  ark  to  the  Israelites.  The  highest  bidder  always  re- 
ceives the  honor  of  lodging  the  image  over  night.  Sacri- 
fices are  offered  on  such  occasions. 

One  thinks  of  Tetzel  and  his  sale  of  indulgences.  But 
I believe  these  priests  are  more  honest  than  were  he  and 
his  sanctimonious  companions.  I presume  this  account 
of  the  origin  of  the  regard  of  the  Yezidees  for  the  cock 
— which  they  never  eat,  though  they  do  the  hen  — never 
before  came  to  Protestant  ears.  Let  it  be  compared  with 
Mohammed’s  miraculous  communings  with  the  spirit 
world,  and  the  popish  miracles  of  Saint  Januarius  and  the 


224 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


Virgin,  still  in  good  repute,  before  the  Moslem  and  Papist 
affect  to  smile  and  despise. 

Dr.  Lobdell  afterwards  received  a somewhat  different 
account  of  the  brazen  standards  of  the  Yezidees,  (as  we 
learn  from  his  journal  for  1854,)  and  was  led  to  doubt 
whether  they  were  not  rude  images  of  the  dove  rather 
than  the  cock , and  whether  they  did  not  represent  Sheikh 
Adi,  or  the  Good  Principle,  instead  of  Melek  Taoos,  or  the 
Evil  Principle,  as,  in  common  with  Layard  and  Badger,  he 
had  previously  supposed.  “ Sheikh  Adi,”  he  was  after- 
wards told,  “ is  always  symbolized  by  a white  dove  / and 
the  sinjaks  (signs,  banners)  carried  about  by  the  kawahls, 
are  symbols  of  tli z faith — banners  of  Sheikh  Adi,  and  not 
of  Melek  Taoos.” 

The  Druzes  of  Lebanon,  the  Yezidees  say,  were  for- 
merly Yezidees.  When  the  Jews  were  brought  to  Gozan, 
in  the  captivity,  they  were  earned  off  to  Lebanon,  but 
soon  became  corrupted,  and  refused  to  receive  the  kaw- 
ahls  from  Assyria.  So  they  were  called  Dur  (far  off) 
Yezcl  (God),  or  People  far  from  God.  So  much  for  the 
contradictory  stories  which  Dr.  Lobdell  heard  at  different 
times,  of  this  singular  people.  We  return  now  to  the 
letter. 

Sabeanism  predominates  over  the  elements  of  Moham- 
medanism and  Christianity  in  their  creed,  if  these  were 
not  added  simply  to  secure  the  good  will  of  the  Moslems 
and  Christians  around  them.  However  this  may  have 
been  at  first,  it  is  evident  that  the  people  have  as  much 
faith  in  the  myths  noAV,  as  in  the  distinct  relics  of  the  As- 
syrianized  Zoroastrianism  preserved  among  them.  They 
do  not  pray,  even  to  Satan ; but,  as  they  told  me,  they 
simply  reverence  him,  not,  however,  according  to  the 
maxim  of  Confucius : “ Respect  the  devil,  but  have  as  lit- 
tle to  do  with  him  as  possible.”  Their  meat  and  drink 
appears  to  be  to  do  his  will. 

Their  great  festival  affords  the  young  men  a fine  oppor- 


IGNORANCE  OF  TIIE  WOMEN. 


225 


tunity  for  the  choice  of  companions ; but,  in  all  my  stay, 
I saw  no  indecent  gesture.  The  modesty  of  the  females, 
while  dancing,  would  put  to  shame  the  refined  trippings 
of  Christendom.  But  their  ignorance  is  great.  One  of 
the  women  told  me,  that  the  females  never  pray  nor  en- 
gage in  any  of  the  acts  of  reverence ; for  her  part,  she  did 
not  know  as  there  was  any  life  beyond  this ; she  had 
heard  of  Christ  from  her  neighbors,  but  did  not  know 
what  he  proposed  to  do,  nor  who  he  was ; and  she  never 
had  thought  of  sin  as  originating  and  existing  in  the 
heart . She  promised  to  think  of  these  things,  which  she 
then  heard  for  the  first  time. 

How  thankful  I felt,  at  the  scene  of  these  orgies,  that 
God  had  given  me  a birthplace  where  Christ  crucified  is 
known  and  preached,  as  the  sinner’s  only  hope.  Amid  all 
my  discouragements,  privations,  and  trials  here,  I am  never 
sad  when  I put  to  myself  the  question,  “Why  art  thou 
better  than  these?”  “Not  unto  us,”  not  unto  man  be 
the  glory  of  redemption  ; let  God  be  acknowledged  as  the 

ALL  IN  ALL. 

W e left  the  valley  of  Sheikh  Adi  five  days  after  our 
arrival.  The  feast  was  to  continue  three  days  longer. 
We  stopped  for  the  night  at  Ain  Sifneh,  a village  two 
hours  distant ; but  the  fleas  and  sand-flies  forced  us  to 
leave  the  mud  floors  an  hour  before  midnight,  and  start 
on  our  starless  way.  We  passed  Khorsabad  about  day- 
light, but  had  only  time  to  see  one  of  its  immense  winged 
and  human-lieaded  bulls  — the  old  Assyrian  symbol  of 
the  divine  intelligence,  swiftness,  and  power — and  reached 
home  as  the  sun  was  gilding  the  tomb  of  Jonah. 

Only  three  of  our  party  had  caught  the  prevalent  oph- 
thalmia; and  though  it  was  only  after  much  care  and 
pain  that  their  eyes  were  restored  to  health,  we  all  re- 
joiced in  invigorated  strength,  and  felt  more  happy  with 
our  lot,  having  seen  what  man  can  become  without  “the 
glorious  gospel  of  the  blessed  God.” 


226 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


I have  not  pretended  to  give  a complete  view  of  the  re- 
ligion of  the  Yezidees.  This  is  not  to  be  done  in  a small 
compass.  I do  not  think,  the  best  way  to  evangelize  them 
ivill  be  to  send  missionaries  directly  to  them,  while  they 
are  so  much  needed  in  other  fields,  and  are  so  scarce. 
But  it  will  be  well  enough  for  our  friends  to  bear  in  mind 
that  when  the  Armenians  and  Jacobites  and  Nestorians 
are  all  brought  to  the  truth,  they  have  still  other  work 
to  do. 

A few  words  about  matters  here  must  close  this  pro- 
tracted letter.  Salome,  who  left  us  with  Shemmas  Elias 
Fuez,  of  Beyroot,  Oct.  29th,  has  written  us  that  they 
were  twenty -one  days  in  reaching  Diarbekr.  Improve- 
ments in  traveling  here  are  few  and  far  between.  The 
only  important  difference  in  the  mode  of  Salome’s  de- 
parture and  that  of  Rebekah  from  Mesopotamia  to  the 
land  of  Canaan,  was,  that  she  rode  a mule,  and  her  proto- 
type a camel. 

There  is  considerable  agitation  in  the  waters  at  Mosul. 
Our  attempt  to  do  the  people  good  in  spirit  as  well  as 
body,  at  the  dispensary,  has  greatly  excited  the  priests, 
and  they  have  threatened  to  anathematize  all  who  submit 
to  the  process  of  question  and  answer.  The  consequence 
is,  that  just  at  present  the  majority  of  applicants  for  medi- 
cine are  Moslems ; but  many  of  the  Christians  come, 
Nicodemus-like,  to  talk  over  the  matter,  and  always  ex- 
press their  indignation  at  the  endeavors  of  the  priesthood 
to  close  their  eyes  and  their  hearts.  I have  a class  of  four 
young  men  in  English  — two  Protestants  and  two  Jacob- 
ites ; and  Mrs.  Lobdell  teaches  half  a dozen  boys.  Mr. 
Williams’s  Bible  class  is  very  interesting,  and  Mrs.  Wil- 
liams is  pleased  with  her  class  of  women.  Our  girls’ 
school  is  not  very  well  attended,  but  that  of  the  boys 
promises  to  be  a nucleus  of  power.  Jeremiah  is  doing 
good  to  those  who  call  at  his  book  store  in  the  market. 
W e have  purchased  a burying-place,  in  spite  of  opposition, 


RESULTS  AT  MOSUL. 


227 


and  it  is  nearly  ready  to  receive  the  remains  of  our  breth- 
ren. Mr.  Williams  and  Micha  have  gone  on  a preaching 
tour  to  Diarbekr,  through  Jebel  Tour.  We  are  desirous 
to  know  the  precise  condition  of  our  cause  in  Mardin. 
Some  reports  have  made  us  deem  it  a sort  of  Japan. 
Longer  residence  in  Mosul  produces  contentment,  and  at 
times  we  feel  a kind  of  exultation  in  view  of  the  results 
that  promise  to  appear  around  this  old  seat  of  empire, 
when  the  gospel  shall  have  free  course  and  be  glorified. 


I 


CHAPTER  XII. 


The  Winter  and  Spring  of  1853 — Seed  Time  and  Harvest  both  natural  and 
spiritual  — His  Tongue  unloosed  — Discussions  on  the  Way  of  Salvation  — 
Crowds  in  the  Dispensary  and  the  Study  — Extracts  from  Journal  — Great 
Excitement  — Great  Fatigue  — Great  Joy  — Feasts  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Elias — 
Fast  of  the  Prophet  Jonah —Summoned  before  the  Cadi  — Refuses  to  give 
Medicines  without  the  Gospel  — Persecution  at  Tel  Keif — The  Jews  — The 
Yezidees  — The  Arabs  — Nimrood — Palace  of  Sennacherib  at  Koyunjik  — 
Bible  Illustrations  — Linguistic  Speculations  — Uncle  Tom’s  Cabin — Post 
Days  — Moslems  like  the  Chief  Priests  and  Pharisees  — No  Sadducees  — Im- 
plicit Faith  — Ignorance  — Papal  Lies  — History  of  the  Reformation  repeated 
— Arguments. 

The  change  of  the  seasons  is  not  less  marked  or  less 
grateful  in  “ the  East,”  than  it  is  in  our  W estern  world. 
It  is  not,  however,  a change  from  the  extreme  of  heat  to 
the  extreme  of  cold,  but  from  excessive  heat  to  a moder- 
ate temperature,  and  from  excessive  drought  to  abundant 
moisture.  The  summer  is  there  the  hot  and  dry,  and  the 
winter  the  cool  and  rainy  season.  Upon  the  return  of 
winter,  the  clouds  veil  the  face  of  the  burning  sun.  The 
heaven  is  no  longer  brass  over  head,  nor  the  earth  iron  or 
powder  and  dust  beneath  the  feet,  nor  the  whole  atmos- 
phere scorching,  like  that  of  an  oven,  or  a burning,  fiery 
furnace.  The  heavens  give  rain ; and  the  hard  and  bar- 
ren earth,  made  soft  with  showers,  is  carpeted  with  the 
green  wheat  and  barley,  or  enameled  with  flowers  of 
every  form  and  color  — anemones,  poppies,  forget-me-nots, 
May-weeds,  tulips,  and  buttercups.  The  gardens  produce, 
in  rich  luxuriance,  beans,  turnips,  radishes  larger  than  our 
beets,  yet  tender  and  delicate  as  their  namesakes  in 
America,  cucumbers  two  feet  long,  pumpkin  squashes  of 
fifty  pounds’  weight,  and  all  those  vegetables  which  con- 


FIRST  WINTER  IN  MOSUL. 


229 


stitutc  the  main  subsistence  of  the  lower  classes  in  the 
Orient.  In  mid-winter,  the  fruit  trees  already  begin  to 
blossom  and  put  forth  leaves  and  fruit.  Man  sympathizes 
with  reviving  nature,  drinks  in  strength  and  activity  with 
a more  invigorating  atmosphere,  and  goes  forth  to  plow 
and  sow ; and  in  April,  he  already  begins  to  shout  the 
harvest  home.  In  many  respects,  the  seasons  and  the 
corresponding  customs  of  the  people  in  Turkey  are  the 
reverse  of  those  in  America,  not  less  so  than  are  the 
usages  of  society,  the  forms  of  government,  and  the  notions 
of  religion.  Indeed,  Dr.  Lobdell  often  speaks  of  the  con- 
trariety as  almost  universal ; and  he  amused  himself  with 
making  up  a little  book  of  contraries,  which  has  not  come 
into  the  hands  of  the  writer,  but  to  which  he  frequently 
alludes.  In  America,  we  “ house  up  ” in  icmter , and  re- 
tire to  our  inmost  chambers  by  night . In  Assyria,  they 
seek  shelter  in  their  houses  and  cellars  from  the  burning 
heat  of  the  midday  sun,  while  they  pass  the  night  upon 
the  roofs,  or,  if  need  be,  in  traveling,  or  in  labors  that 
require  special  exertion.  With  us,  spring  is  the  seed- 
time, and  summer  is  the  harvest ; they  plow  and  sow  in 
the  winter,  and  gather  in  the  harvest  in  the  spring.  And 
the  winter  and  spring  are  the  seasons  when,  if  ever,  the 
spiritual  husbandman  must  go  forth,  bearing  precious  seed, 
and  come  again  with  rejoicing,  bringing  his  sheaves  with 
him. 

The  winter  and  spring  of  1853,  which,  together  with 
the  summer  and  autumn  of  1852,  completed  the  first  year 
of  Dr.  Lobdell’s  life  in  Mosul,  was  to  him  a jjeriod  of  great 
activity  and  great  enjoyment  in  his  work.  Not  only  were 
his  energies  renewed  and  his  spirits  quickened  by  a cooler 
and  more  bracing  air,  and  the  people,  for  the  same  reason, 
in  a better  condition  to  hear  and  think  and  feel  and  act 
on  the  momentous  subjects  which  he  would  fain  press  upon 
their  consideration ; his  tongue  was  now,  for  the  first 
time,  so  far  unloosed  that  he  could  declare,  though  imper- 
20 


230 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


fectly,  the  glad  tidings  of  the  gospel  of  Christ.  He  was 
far  from  feeling  that  he  was  master  of  the  Arabic.  He 
was  “ not  yet  greatly  in  love  with  the  khas , the  ’’ctins,  the 
ghains , the  kofs,  and  the  khas  ” of  the  guttural  language. 
But  he  could  make  himself  understood,  and  nothing  could 
any  longer  restrain  him  from  entering  with  all  the  ardor 
of  his  earnest  nature,  and  all  the  fervor  of  his  love  for  the 
truth  and  the  souls  of  men,  into  the  discussion  of  the  fun- 
damental doctrines  of  the  gospel  with  the  multitude  of 
errorists  of  every  sort,  — Mohammedans  and  Yezidees, 
Jews  and  Christians,  Chaldeans  and  Syrians,  Jacobites  and 
Kestorians, — that  now  more  than  ever  thronged  his 
house.  And  this  only  increased  the  crowd.  Curiosity  to 
hear  the  doctrines  and  the  arguments  of  the  Protestants 
drew  many,  and  a sincere  spirit  of  inquiry  brought  some, 
though  the  medicines,  the  illustrations,  (especially  the 
skeleton ),  and  the  surgical  instruments,  were  still  the  chief 
attraction  to  all  ranks  and  classes.  And  they  soon  found 
that  the  liakeem  was  as  skillful  in  wielding  arguments  as 
he  was  in  handling  instruments,  and  that  the  truths  which 
he  uttered  with  his  lips,  were  as  sharp  as  the  knives  and 
lancets  which  he  held  in  his  hands.  He  endeavored  to 
restrict  them  to  the  ’asr,  or  the  hour  of  evening  prayer, 
at  which  the  dispensary  was  regularly  open  for  the  dis- 
pensation of  medicines  both  for  the  body  and  the  soul. 
But  they  came  at  all  hours,  and  were  so  eager  to  hear  and 
discuss,  that  he  could  not  send  them  away,  and  often  he 
relinquished  his  Arabic  lesson,  his  English  class,  his  read- 
ing and  recreation,  and  gave  up  the  whole  day  to  succes- 
sive troops  of  eager  visitors.  A few  extracts  from  his  jour- 
nal will  best  illustrate  the  kind  and  degree  of  interest 
which  was  thus  excited.  “Jan.  19th.  Before  I had  fin- 
ished my  Arabic  lesson,  as  it  was  a feast  day,  a crowd  Avere 
hanging  round  my  study  door,  — some  Moslems,  some  of 
each  of  the  Christian  sects,  and  a number  from  several  vil- 
lages.” After  specifying  the  villages,  — Tel  Keif,  Bartulli, 


INQUIRERS. 


281 


Kara-Kosh,  Karamles,  etc., — with  their  situation  and  popu- 
lation of  various  sects,  as  he  had  learned  it  from  his  visitors, 
he  proceeds : “ This  afternoon,  fourteen  Christians  were  in 
my  study  to  investigate  the  truth.  One  Butrus  es-Sibogh, 
the  dyer,  took  the  lead  of  them,  and  Jeremiah  replied, 
when  my  Arabic  was  cloudy.  A good  impression  was 
produced ; we  began  and  ended  with  the  two  modes  of 
salvation  (by  faith,  and  by  works,  or,  rather,  forms).  It 
was  a very  interesting  time  for  me.  All  who  could  read 
wanted  some  tracts,  and  were  furnished  gratis,  though  we 
are  beginning  to  doubt  the  expediency  of  giving  too  freely. 
I have  been  thronged  all  day,  and  have  done  nothing  but 
preach  in  broken  Arabic,  and  write  prescriptions  in  broken 
English  for  Ablahad.  The  leewan  was  filled  with  Moslems 
and  Christians  at  the  ’asr.  Butrus  kept  them  still. 

“ Jan.  20th.  Eighteen  men  and  seven  women  crowded 
into  my  study  about  10,  A.  M.  I never  before  knew  a band 
of  women  here  to  sit  down  with  men  to  listen  to  the 
truth.”  After  removing  their  prejudices  against  “Bible 
readers,”  and  showing  them  the  advantages,  temporal 
and  spiritual,  of  being  able  to  read,  as  well  as  the  self- 
ishness of  their  priests  in  keeping  them  in  ignorance, 
he  says : “ I then  told  them  what  is  our  object,  and  our 
only  object,  to  teach  the  people  the  true  way  of  salvation 
from  the  word  of  God.  They  all  responded,  c meleecih 
— excellent ; and  then  Kos  Michael  spoke  to  them  of  his 
reasons  for  becoming  a Protestant.  The  effect  was  evi- 
dently good, — all  were  solemn.  Some  begged  for  books, 
and  all  went  away  sober.  While  I was  at  dinner,  six 
more  Christians  and  three  Moslems  came  in,  with  whom 
I talked  about  their  souls.  When  they  had  left,  twelve 
more  full  grown  men  seated  themselves  in  the  study,  and 
for  two  hours,  with  the  aid  of  lYiy  assistant,  Ablahad,  I 
expounded  to  them  the  way  of  salvation  by  grace.  Their 
earnestness  and  evident  honesty  interested  me  more  than 
any  interview  I have  yet  had  with  a mingled  party  of 


232 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


Chaldeans.  Syrians,  and  Jacobites.  I class  them  all  to- 
gether, and  even  tell  them  they  are  little  better  than  Mos- 
lems, for  they  all  labor  to  get  into  heaven  by  their  heart- 
less formalities  and  supposed  good  works.  I think  two  of 
the  men  were  deeply  affected.  Oh,  what  a blessed  work ! 
I envy  no  man  in  America  his  post,  and  no  man  in  the 
world.  My  field  is  full  of  interest ; may  God  strengthen 
his  laborers  here  for  its  due  cultivation. 

• “Jan.  27th.  All  classes  crowd  around  us — all  sects 
— to  know  our  arguments.  May  God  save  the  multi- 
tudes to  whom  we  declare  the  truth.  Oh,  it  is  a glorious 
work  ! Do  not  the  angels  desire  to  engage  in  it  ? 

“Jan.  29th.  A crowd  of  Christians  came  as  usual,  and 
listened  attentively.  A Chaldean,  a week  ago  bigoted 
enough,  preached  to  them  earnestly  in  favor  of  our  doc- 
trines. The  light  spreads.  May  the  truth  be  glorified. 
Butrus  read  from  one  of  John’s  epistles,  and  prayed  earn- 
estly before  a hundred  Moslems.  They  made  so  much 
noise  that  I refused  to  prescribe,  and  left  the  leeioan . 
The  man  who  yesterday  listened  to  the  truth  so  earnest- 
ly, said  he  wished  to  put  his  name  down  as  a Protestant. 
I referred  him  to  Jeremiah,  the  head  of  the  community. 

“Feb.  1st.  The  day  has  brought  forth  much  good. 
The  city  is  agog.  May  we  be  wise.  One  man  gives  good 
evidence  that  he  loves  the  truth.  What  joy  I had  in 
thinking,  I had  been  somewhat  instrumental  in  leading 
him  to  Jesus.  Evening  meeting  at  the  house  of  Ablahad. 
A little,  square,  windowless  room  was  well  filled.  Jere- 
miah preached  on  the  topic,  1 Whatsoever  is  not  of  faith 
is  sin.’  Sat  on  his  knees.  Bible  on  a bundle  of  cotton 
yarn,  — an  earthen  cup,  having  a wick  dipped  in  the  oil, 
stood  on  a stand  a foot  high  before  him.  What  a place 
for  serving  the  Infinite ! But  each  Christian’s  body  is  a 
temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost.” 

At  length  the  crowd  became  so  great  at  the  that 
it  was  difficult  to  maintain  order,  and  it  was  quite  impos- 


CROWDS  AT  THE  STUDY. 


233 

sible  for  Dr.  Lobdell,  with  all  his  helpers,  to  attend  prop- 
erly either  to  their  bodily  or  their  spiritual  wants.  An 
arrangement  was  therefore  made,  early  in  February,  to 
receive  Christian  patients  the  first  three  days  of  each 
week,  — Moslem  women  on  Thursdays  and  Saturdays, 
and  Moslem  men  on  Fridays,  which,  being  the  Mohamme- 
dan Sabbath,  would  release  them  in  some  measure  from 
their  secular  label's,  and  yet  was  not  held  so  sacred  as  to 
occasion  any  scruples  as  to  the  lawfulness  of  visiting  the 
dispensary. 

Still  the  crowd  was  scarcely  diminished.  “Monday, 
Feb.  14th.  This  afternoon  has  been  memorable.  Over 
a hundred  Christians  have  called  for  conversation  to-day, 
and  at  one  time  seventy  were  present  crowding  the  study. 
Shemmas  Georghius  was  on  hand  with  his  proof-texts  to 
substantiate  the  supremacy  of  Peter.  The  Jacobites,  of 
course,  were  on  my  side,  and  all  were  deeply  interested 
in  the  discussion.  Some  of  the  Chaldeans  grew  indig- 
nant at  my  irreverence  for  the  omnipotent  saints,  and  left ; 
but  their  seats  were  speedily  filled.  What  a tumult  we 
are  creating.  The  whole  town  is  on  fire.  Mind  is  awak- 
ing. May  God  descend  with  his  Spirit.  Oh,  what  a priv- 
ilege is  granted  to  us!  May  we  work  and  prove  success- 
ful in  drawing  multitudes  to  the  knowledge  of  God  our 
Saviour.  Salvation  by  grace , good  works  as  the  fruit  of 
faith , the  one  Mediator  the  Man  Christ  Jesus , the  Mys- 
tery of  God  manifest  in  the  flesh , the  idolatry  of  picture- 
worship,  the  relation  of  the  Jewish  to  the  Christian 
scheme,  Christ  the  fulfilling  of  the  law,  — all  these  and 
many  other  topics  have  passed  under  our  review  to-day, 
so  that  I am  very  much  fatigued.  May  my  weakness  lead 
me  to  my  strength.  While  seventy  were  at  my  room,  thirty 
were  at  brother  Williams’s.  This  feast  day  of  St.  Peter  will 
be  long  remembered  by  many  in  Mosul.  W ould  that  many 
might  date  their  conversion  from  it.  As  I told  a Chal- 
dean this  evening,  if  I shall  know  before  my  death  that  a 
20* 


234 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


single  soul  has  been  turned  to  God  by  my  efforts,  I shall 
never  cease  to  rejoice,  that  my  life  was  devoted  to  the 
welfare  of  the  people  of  Mosul. 

“ 17th,  Thursday.  I had  about  a hundred  and  twenty- 
five  Moslem  women  at  the  dispensary  this  afternoon. 
The  noise  was  so  great,  that  neither  Brother  W.  nor 
myself  could  do  any  thing  with  them.  One  Moslem 
woman  declared,  she  was  not  a sinner.  Indeed,  very 
many  of  the  Moslems  think  they  are  pure  before  God, 
some  even  who  are  impure  in  the  eyes  of  men.  - 

“ 18th,  Friday.  Some  Moslems  were  pleased  with  my 
exposition  of  our  doctrine  of  the  sonship  of  Christ.  A 
hundred  Moslem  men  after  medicine.  Brother  W.’s  lec- 
ture was  short,  but  he  did  not  hesitate  to  call  Christ  our 
Saviour  before  them. 

“ 19th,  Saturday.  A great  crowd  of  noisy  Moslem 
women  to-day.  What  beastly  specimens  of  humanity ! 
My  work  is  too  hard ; my  tongue  too  little  loosed ; I 
must  alter  my  practice  of  medicine,  and  refuse  to  see  so 
many.  My  head  is  full  of  plans,  but  how  to  modify  the 
present  course,  and  secure  all  its  advantages,  it  is  difficult 
to  see. 

“ 24th,  Thursday.  To-day  was  the  Jacobite  feast  of  St. 
Elias.  It  is  observed  to-morrow  by  the  Moslems.  Mon- 
day, Tuesday  and  Wednesday  of  this  week  were  observed 
in  honor  of  the  prophet  Jonah,  as  days  of  fasting.  I 
suppose  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  persons  have 
visited  my  house  to-day.  Kos  Michael  assisted  me  in 
talking  with  a room-full  of  Jacobites  for  two  hours  this 
forenoon.  We  discussed  the  doctrine,  that  all  which  is 
not  of  faith  is  sin,  thus  demolishing  some  of  the  objections 
of  our  friends  who  adhere  to  their  church,  though  they  see 
its  errors — prayers  for  the  dead,  salvation  by  faith  and 
works,  the  worship  of  the  mass  and  the  saints,  &c.  Nearly 
seventy  were  present  at  one  time,  and  before  they  left, 
quite  a battle  occurred  between  the  Jacobites  and  Papists. 


PREACHING  TO  MOHAMMEDANS. 


235 


I took  my  scat  on  a ladder-round  in  the  court,  and 
tried  to  argue  with  the  multitude.  Oh,  how  much  we 
need  assistance  from  above!  We  had  over  a hundred 
Moslem  Women  and  a crowd  of  Christians  at  the  ’ cisr . A 
policeman  came,  and  succeeded  in  keeping  the  people 
pretty  quiet.  But  I was  very  tired  at  the  close  of  the 
day.  I do  believe,  much  good  has  been  done  in  the  name 
of  the  Redeemer.  My  medicine  has  brought  scores  to- 
day within  the  sound  of  the  gospel,  that  would  not  have 
heard  it  otherwise.  But  we  must  alter  our  plan  of  opera- 
tions. I shall  kill  myself  talking  of  salvation,  if  we  do  not. 
Will  this  be  justifiable  suicide?  I sometimes  think  it  will. 
“ That  life  is  long,  which  answers  life’s  great  end.” 

Dr.  Lobdell’s  inability  to  bear  the  labor  and  the  excite- 
ment was  not  the  only  difficulty,  which  the  missionaries 
encountered  in  their  plan  of  operations.  The  English 
consul  soon  began  to  throw  out  hints,  that  it  was  not 
safe,  nor  expedient,  to  preach  the  truth  with  so  much 
plainness  to  Mohammedans.  The  Jacobites,  who  never 
dared  to  give  utterance  to  a religious  sentiment  in  the 
presence  of  Moslems,  which  they  did  not  hold  in  common, 
were  astonished  to  see  the  missionaries  preaching  the  gos- 
pel with  equal  frankness  to  all.  The  Papists  declared  that 
this  course  would  surely  rouse  the  wrath  of  the  Mussulmans, 
and  all  the  Christian  sects  would  suffer  the  consequences. 
Even  the  Protestants  and  the  native  helpers  were  fright- 
ened at  the  boldness  of  the  missionaries,  and  remonstrated, 
and  even  entreated  them  not  to  bring  down  the  ven- 
geance of  their  Moslem  oppressors  upon  their  little  com- 
munity. The  Mohammedans  themselves,  strange  to  say, 
were  the  last  to  make  objection.  They  generally  ac- 
quiesced in  the  reasonableness  of  the  rule,  that  medicine 
and  the  gospel  must  go  together ; and  though  they  loved 
not  the  truths  of  the  gospel,  they  were  willing  to  listen 
to  them  as  the  indispensable  condition  of  receiving  medi- 
cal treatment  and  advice.  Some  of  them  openly  declared 


236 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


that  the  missionaries  and  their  converts  were  Christians, 
and  the  only  ones  in  Mosul.  But  there  were  enough, 
especially  of  the  higher  classes,  whose  pride  had  been 
humbled  by  being  placed  on  the  same  level  with  “ the 
poor,”  both  in  the  administering  of  medicines  and  in  having 
“the  gospel  preached  to  them;”  there  were  enough  of 
these  to  make  complaint  to  the  authorities.  Indeed,  the 
excitement  throughout  the  city  was  such,  that  it  could 
not  but  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  government. 

Dr.  Lobdell  was  not  therefore  surprised,  when,  about 
the  middle  of  March,  he  was  waited  on  by  the  gray- 
headed servant  of  the  cadi,  or  judge,  and  politely  in- 
formed that  his  master  wished  to  see  him.  “ I rode 
immediately  to  his  house,  and  went  up  a dirty  pair  of 
stairs  amid  a crowd  of  idlers  and  courtiers , and,  having 
raised  the  padded  cotton  door,  seated  myself  among  the 
smoking  dignitaries.  Some  of  them  wore  very  white  tur- 
bans and  red  ziboons  (long  robes) ; and  the  finjens  of  coffee 
were  handed  them  by  trained  cup-bearers,  on  their  thumb 
nails,  with  a grace  that  brought  to  mind  the  manners  of 
the  old  Persians.  Having  finished  the  case  he  was  then 
trying,  the  cadi  turned  to  me,  and  asked  if  I understood 
Turkish,  that  being  the  court  language . I replied,  of 
course,  in  the  negative,  and  then  was  informed  in  Arabic 
that,  as  a number  of  Moslems  had  made  complaints  to  him, 
that  I was  in  the  habit  of  reading  from  the  Bible,  preach- 
ing, and  conversing  on  religious  subjects  in  the  %>resence  of 
and  with  the  crowds  of  their  sect  that  daily  assembled  at 
my  dispensary,  he  had  deemed  it  his  duty  to  direct  me  to 
cease  that  kind  of  work.  I asked  him  if  this  was  a com- 
mand or  a request , and  whether  it  came  from  him  or  the 
pasha.  My  boldness  astonished  the  crowd,  and  they 
thought  I had  misunderstood  the  cadi’s  order.” 

To  prevent  misunderstanding,  Mr.  Williams  was  sent 
for ; and  then,  in  reply  to  the  cadi,  the  missionaries  said 
that  they  supposed  the  Moslems  accepted  the  teachings 


SUMMONED  BEFORE  THE  CADI. 


237 


of  our  Lord  Jesus  (so  Christ  is  called  among  them),  and 
that  they  had  always  been  careful  in  their  discourses  to 
the  Moslems,  to  say  nothing  contrary  to  his  doctrines  — 
that  they  had  made  it  a rule  to  talk  about  the  sayings  of 
Peter  and  Paul  and  the  other  apostles  to  Christians  only, 
that  Christ  commands  his  disciples  to  go  into  all  the 
world  healing  the  sick  and  preaching  the  gospel,  thus 
virtually  linking  the  two  commands  together,  and  vir- 
tually saying,  If  you  do  the  one,  do  the  other  also  — and 
that,  therefore,  if  forbidden  to  preach  the  truth,  we  shall 
refuse  to  give  medicine  to  all  Moslems,  whether  it  be  a 
poor  man,  the  cadi,  or  the  pasha.  “ But  we  do  not  for- 
bid you  to  give  medicine”  “ Yes,  you  do,  if  you  forbid 
us  to  preach  ; for  the  two  things  are  inseparable.”  “ But 
we  only  say,  you  must  not  speak  of  religion .”  “ True, 

you  wish  to  receive  what  agrees  Avith  your  wishes  ; that 
you  can  not.  If  you  will  come  to  our  country,  you  may 
build  a mosk,  preach  at  the  corners  of  the  streets,  say 
what  you  please  in  favor  of  your  religion,  and  no  one  will 
be  allowed  to  disturb  you.”  “You  have  freedom;  we 
have  not.”  “Yes,  yes,”  said  we,  “that’s  it;”  and  smiling, 
we  rose,  made  our  salaams,  and  withdrew,  well  pleased 
that  we  had  thus  got  free  of  the  laborious  duty  of  giving 
medicines  to  such  crowds  of  Moslems  as  have  lately 
pressed  in  upon  us. 

The  next  day,  Dr.  Lobdell  refused  to  give  medicine  to 
a dignitary  from  the  palace,  till  he  should  bring  a written 
permission  from  the  cadi  that  he  might  preach  to  him. 
And  this,  for  the  present,  became  the  established  rule,  till 
they  could  find  a better  — till,  at  least,  they  could  see 
how  it  would  work.  Mohammedans  came  every  day  for 
medicine,  and  whether  rich  or  poor,  high  or  low,  received 
the  same  answer,  that  the  cadi  had  forbidden  them  to 
converse  with  Mohammedans  on  religious  topics,  and 
they  did  not  feel  at  liberty  to  administer  medicines  to 
those  to  whom  they  were  not  permitted  to  preach  the 


238 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


gospel ; if  they  wanted  medicines  they  must  go  to  the  cadi 
for  permission,  also,  to  hear  the  truths  of  the  gospel. 
They  scolded  and  stormed  at  the  cadi ; they  begged  and 
entreated  of  the  missionaries  ; they  were  willing  to  hear 
the  preaching,  if  they  might  only  receive  the  medicines. 
But  the  missionaries  were  inexorable.  They  wished  it  to 
be  seen  distinctly,  that  Moslems  were  afraid  to  have  the 
truth  preached  to  the  people.  And  the  cadi  refusing  to 
give  the  required  permission,  the  intercourse  between  the 
missionaries  and  the  Moslems  was,  for  the  time,  nearly 
broken  off. 

About  the  same  time,  the  priests  and  emissaries  of  the 
pope  stirred  up  the  spirit  of  opposition  and  of  persecution 
among  the  Chaldeans  at  Tel  Keif,  which  increased  the 
ferment  at  Mosul,  and  deterred  the  papists,  to  some  ex- 
tent, from  their  visiis  for  inquiry  and  discussion  with  the 
missionaries.  “ Tel  Keif,”  we  quote  from  a letter  to  Dr. 
Anderson,  “ is  occupied  entirely  by  Chaldeans,  who  have 
sworn,  like  the  conspirators  against  Paul,  to  root  out  all 
heretical  tendencies,  even  at  the  price  of  blood.  While 
Mr.  Marsh  was  here,  an  attempt  was  made  by  the  priests 
there  to  destroy  the  Bibles,  which  our  brother  put  into 
the  hands  of  the  people ; they  seized  them,  and  nothing 
but  an  order  from  the  government  prevented  their  de- 
struction. 

“About  two  months  since,  a few  persons  from  that 
place  came  to  ask  us  to  send  them  a preacher ; they  were 
urgent  for  an  American.  After  repeated  applications,  we 
deemed  it  best  to  send  every  Saturday  Kos  Michael,  or 
Sliemmas  Jeremiah.  The  former  owns  a house  in  the 
village,  it  being  his  native  place ; and  they  were  accus- 
tomed to  sit  upon  the  floor  on  Sundays  and  instruct  those 
>vho  called  upon  them.  This  roused  the  vengeance  of  the 
priesthood ; and  they  sent  for  the  Chaldean  patriarch  and 
Kos  Butrus,  a papal  emissary,  educated  in  the  Propaganda 
at  Rome,  to  put  a stop  to  the  business.  Two  weeks  ago, 


PERSECUTION  AT  TEL  KEIF.  239 

Jeremiah  was  horribly  anathematized  by  the  patriarch, 
and  a public  discourse  was  given  by  his  attendant  against 
the  American  Methodists . When  they  came  out  of  the 
church,  about  live  hundred  seized  stones,  and  with  a tre- 
mendous hooting,  proceeded  towards  the  rude  house  of 
our  brother.  They  did  not  kill  him,  but  threatened  to  do 
so,  if  he  did  not  leave  the  place.  He  ran  to  the  house  of 
the  Kiayah * or  mayor  of  the  village,  for  protection ; but  he 
was  out  collecting  taxes,  and  his  son  ordered  him  to  leave 
the  house  and  the  village  immediately  — he  was  too  vile  a 
heretic  to  live ! Thus  much  for  civil  protection.  Jere- 
miah’s brother  escaped  from  the  mob  by  a secret  Avay,  and 
ran  to  Mosul,  arriving  about  the  time  that  our  afternoon 
chapel  service  was  closing.  It  was  evident,  that  Jeremiah’s 
life  was  in  danger ; but  reflecting,  that  4 the  blood  of  the 
martyrs  is  the  seed  of  the  church,’  and  seeing  no  way  to 
relieve  him  till  the  next  day,  we  simply  asked  the  English 
consul  to  get  us  a policeman  from  the  pasha,  with  an 
order  to  bring  the  offenders  to  Mosul.  Thus  furnished,  on 
Monday  morning  we  galloped  to  the  village,  and  found 
our  brother  alive,  but  all  who  sympathized  with  him,  did 
it  with  fear  and  trembling.  The  Kiayah  refused  to  point 
out  the  offenders ; so  we  took  him  and  brought  him  to 
the  city.  All  the  men,  women,  and  children  of  the  village 
collected  around  us  as  we  were  trying  to  force  some  wit- 
nesses to  accompany  us,  and  declared  that  they  would  kill 
every  one  who  testified  against  them;  and  further,  that  if 
ever  the  apostate  Jeremiah  should  set  his  foot  in  Tel  Keif 
again,  they  would  sacrifice  him,  at  the  same  time  coolly 
drawing  their  forefingers  across  their  throats.  They  had 
agreed  to  divide  the  price  of  his  blood  among  the  houses, 
not  doubting  that  this  would  be  a cheap  way  of  deliver- 
ing themselves  from  the  heretic.  Nearly  two  thousand 
persons  followed  the  Kiayah , determined  to  stand  by  him 
and  their  church. 


* This  dignitary  was  under  some  obligations  to  Dr.  Lobdell.  See  p.  210. 


240 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


“ The  next  morning  — the  prominent  members  of  the 
medglis , or  common  council,  having  been  previously  con- 
sulted by  the  priests,  and  the  pasha  having  been  invited 
to  a breakfast  with  the  French  consul  — the  Jesuits  and 
Tel  Keifites  proceeded  to  the  palace,  as  the  rude  barracks 
of  the  pasha  are  designated ; and  Jeremiah  answered  for 
himself  before  them  with  a calmness  and  dignity,  which 
awakened  considerable  sympathy  among  the  Moslems. 
The  case,  however,  was  decided  against  our  brother;  he 
was  ordered  to  keep  away  from  that  village,  and  his 
brother,  who  married  his  wife  there,  was  directed  to  leave 
the  place  also.  Ivos  Butrus  then  undertook  to  get  an 
order  preventing  Kos  Michael  from  going  there  to  talk  in 
his  own  house,  but  the  pasha  replied  that  neither  the 
council  nor  himself  had  power  to  give  it. 

“Jeremiah  was  requested  by  the  pasha  to  call  on  him 
the  next  day.  He  did  so,  and  was  told  that  when  there 
were  ten  or  fifteen  houses  there  that  wished  to  become 
Protestants,  he  would  protect  them  and  give  him  permis- 
sion to  preach  to  them ! 

“ The  people  of  Tel  Keif  returned  to  their  village,  and 
reported  that  Jeremiah  had  been  bastinadoed  and  banished 
from  the  country,  and  the  heretics  were  put  to  flight ! 
Kos  Michael  went  up  the  next  Saturday,  taking  a bouyou - 
roulder  from  the  pasha  for  himself  and  those  who  wished 
to  call  on  him ; but  nearly  all  of  his  old  friends  were  so 
afraid  for  their  lives  that  they  staid  away,  waiting  for  the 
rage  of  their  enemies  to  cool.  Two  young  men  and  some 
women  came  and  conversed  with  him,  but  chiefly  by 
night. 

“The  Jacobites  of  Mosul  were  full  of  sympathy  for  us. 
But  we  told  them,  we  were  sure  the  triumphing  of  the 
enemy  would  be  short.  Probably  not  a person  in  the  city 
was  ignorant  of  the  affair,  and  thus  the  gospel  has  been 
preached,  though  through  envy  and  strife ; and  even  in 
this  we  will  rejoice.  We  intend,  if  our  appropriation  will 


LABORS  AMONG  THE  JEWS. 


241 


allow,  to  build  a room  in  Tel  Keif  soon,  that  we  may  give 
the  enemy  no  rest.” 

The  Jews  were  not  neglected  in  the  labors  of  the  mis- 
sionaries. “ Every  Saturday  we  go  to  the  Jewish  syna- 
£0<me,  and  discuss  the  matter  of  the  Messiah.  Last  week 
a hundred  and  twenty  were  present.  To-day  a rabbi 
called  and  said,  the  people  did  not  wish  us  to  come  again. 
But  on  investigation,  it  appeared  that  it  was  he  and  his 
fellow-rabbies  who  wished  us  to  stay  away,  for  fear  that 
their  ignorance  would  be  exposed,  and  they  should  lose 
their  influence  among  their  people.  Mr.  Stern,  a missionary 
of  the  London  Society  to  the  Jews  at  Baghdad,  now  on 
his  way  to  Constantinople,  where  he  expects  to  reside  in 
future,  deals  some  hard  blows  at  the  band  of  Israelites 
with  whom  we  have  to  do.  He  speaks  favorably  of  the 
good  will  of  the  Jews  in  Baghdad  towards  true  Christian- 
ity, and  says,  they  are  mostly  infidel  in  respect  to  their 
old  religion.  And  yet  they  cling  to  the  carcass,  after  the 
life  has  gone  out  of  it.  There  are  about  eighteen  thou- 
sand there,  and.  they  form  the  controling  element  in  the 
population.” 

The  reader  will  be  interested  to  hear  again  from  the 
Yezidees.  The  fact  stated  in  the  following  extract  from 
Dr.  Lobdell’s  journal,  will  also  illustrate  the  nature  of  the 
government  and  the  state  of  the  country : “ It  seems,  the 
political  chief  of  the  devil-worshipers  brought  Sheikh 
Nasir’s  fine  horse  to  the  palace  of  the  pasha  a few  days 
ago,  and  as  he  refused  to  give  it  to  him  at  his  request,  the 
pasha  made  his  bastard  brother  chief  in  his'  stead,  and 
sent  a company  of  soldiers  to  Sheikh  Adi  to  enforce  his 
authority.  Hussein  Bey  was  urged  by  the  Yezidees  not 
to  give  up  his  premiership ; and  in  the  presence  of  the 
soldiers,  his  friends  plunged  their  daggers  into  the  heart 
of  the  newly-appointed  chief  on  the  holy  ground.  The 
soldiers  retreated,  and  undertook  to  carry  Sheikh  Hasir 
with  them  from  Ain  Sifneh-tQ  Mosul.  But  a party  of  five 
21 


242 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBIXELL. 


hundred  Yezidees  came  out  and  rescued  their  spiritual 
head  from  the  hands  of  the  soldiers,  and  carried  him  back 
to  the  mountains.  The  Yezidees  have  sent  off  their  wives 
and  children  to  the  Sinjar  hills,  west  of  the  Tigris,  and 
are  now  all  in  the  saddle.  The  pasha  may  have  work 
enough  to  pay  him  for  his  infamous  act.” 

In  his  rides  around  the  city,  Dr.  Lobdell  sometimes  fell 
in  with  troops  of  armed  and  mounted  Arabs,  and  some- 
times narrowly  escaped  being  captured  and  carried  off  to 
their  encampments.  He  sought  every  opportunity  to 
acquaint  himself  with  their  manners  and  character,  and 
was  invited  by  a Christian  deacon,  who  had  traded  among 
them  and  secured  their  good-will,  to  go  out  with  him  and 
spend  a month  in  the  tents  of  the  Shammar  tribe.  He 
would  have  been  glad  to  do  so,  partly  for  a health  excur- 
sion, as  the  hot  season  was  now  coming  on,  and  partly  as 
a preparatory  step  towards  missionary  labors  among  them. 
Had  he  been  without  a wife  and  child  dependent  upon 
him,  he  would  perhaps  have  made  the  experiment.  But 
he  did  not  deem  it  quite  safe,  and  for  the  present  declined 
the  invitation.  “ The  Shammar  tribe,”  he  puts  on  record 
in  this  connection,  “ numbers  perhaps  fifteen  thousand ; 
that  of  the  Aneezeys  some  twenty-five  or  thirty  thousand. 
The  latter  are  near  Oorfa  and  Aleppo.  The  former  range 
old  Chaldea,  from  the  Persian  Gulf  to  Baghdad,  and  the 
entire  western  and  southern  parts  of  Mesopotamia.  The 
Arabs  have  the  plain  pretty  much  to  their  pleasure.  The 
other  day  they  took  twelve  hundred  sheep  from  the  shep- 
herds under  the  walls  of  Mosul.  Five  hundred  cavalry 
and  two  cannon  chased  them,  but  as  soon  as  they  came  in 
sight  of  ‘the  shaking  of  their  spears,’  retreated  hastily 
back  to  the  city ! ” 

Through  fear  of  the  Arabs,  (whose  hand,  in  fulfillment 
of  prophecy,  is  still  against  every  man,)  and  in  fear  of 
each  other  also,  (for  every  man  seems  to  deem  every  other 
man  his  enemy,)  it  becomes  necessary  for  all  classes  of  the 


VISIT  TO  NIMROOD. 


243 


people,  when  they  go  into  the  country,  to  go  armed.  The 
gentleman  who  rides  out  from  the  city,  the  muleteer  who 
brings  in  fuel  and  produce  from  the  country,  the  shepherd 
who  watches  his  flocks,  and  the  peasant  who  follows  the 
plow  — all  go  armed  with  war-club,  spear,  sword,  or  gun, 
as  may  best  suit  their  means  or  convenience ; and  all,  at 
night,  seek  protection  within  the  walls.  Dr.  Lobdell  did 
not  arm  himself  with  carnal  weapons,  even  when  he  rode 
into  the  plains,  though  he  was  often  reminded  of  “ the  old 
Puritans,  and  the  rebuilders  of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem;” 
and  after  one  or  two  rather  narrow  escapes,  he  deemed  it 
prudent  to  leave  his  money  and  his  watch  at  home,  when 
he  went  on  such  excursions. 

In  March,  the  missionaries  with  their  families  took  an 
excursion  to  Nimrood,  partly  to  give  the  women  and  chil- 
dren a sight  of  green  grass  and  a snuff  of  country  air,  and 
partly  to  direct  the  operations  of  their  man  Yoosuf  in 
excavating  slabs  for  the  American  colleges.  They  passed 
two  nights  and  one  day  at  the  mound.  “ Our  tents  were 
not  pitched  on  the  Tel  (mound)  for  fear  of  the  Arabs,  but 
near  the  village  of  Nimrood,  which  is  half  a mile  distant. 
The  children  were  greatly  delighted  with  the  beautiful 
grass,  as  fine  to  them  as  any  Persian  carpet.  They  were 
too  tired  and  thirsty  to  pick  the  flowers,  but  a chicken’s 
leg  and  a sherbeh  of  water  enabled  them  ‘ to  possess  their 
souls  ’ in  patience,  until  Hormuzd  Rassam,  the  agent  of 
the  British  Museum,  arrived  and  invited  them  and  us  to  a 
Turkish  supper.  We  gazed  long  upon  the  star-lighted 
sky  and  the  dusty  pyramid,  and  then  laid  us  down  to  sleep 
upon  our  blankets.” 

The  next  day  they  examined  the  slabs,  which  Yoosuf 
had  uncovered ; explored  and  measured  the  great  tunnel 
and  canal,  hewn  out  of  the  solid  conglomerate,  which 
once  carried  the  waters  of  the  Zab  all  over  the  plain 
between  the  Zab  and  the  Tigris,  but  which  is  now  filled 
with  the  alluvial  deposits  of  three  thousand  years ; visited 


244 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


the  great  pyramid  of  sun-burnt  brick,  faced  with  beveled 
blocks  of  stone,  which  Xenophon  describes  at  “ Larissa ; ” 
saw  the  bitumen  springs,  just  outside  the  old  walls,  which 
furnished  the  material  in  which  the  walls  of  the  old  palace 
were  laid,  and  which,  being  set  on  fire,  burned,  and  bub- 
bled, and  smoked,  like  lava  in  the  crater  of  a volcano ; 
then  “ galloped  to  the  tents,  helped  Mr.  R.  arrange  the 
pieces  of  an  obelisk,  broken  by  envious  hands  at  the 
destruction  of  the  city,  witnessed  the  frolics'  of  the  chil- 
dren among  the  flowers,  took  a good  dinner,  or  tea,  with 
Mr.  Rassam,  looked  at  the  fine  sculptures  in  Layard’s  old 
mud-house,  the*  bricks,  horses’  heads,  copper  mirrors, 
ivories,  alabaster  urns,  and  other  articles  recently  found 
at  the  mound,  and  with  a guard  to  keep  watch,  again  lay 
down  to  sleep.” 

The  third  day,  after  having  selected  their  slabs,  and 
given  directions  for  their  removal,  they  returned  to 
Mosul. 

Before  the  close  of  the  month,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Lobdell 
were  invited  by  Mr.  Rassam  to  see  the  palace  of  Sen- 
nacherib at  Koyunjik,  as  he  was  about  to  send  off  all  the 
valuable  sculptures  to  London.  “ Lucy’s  appearance,  with 
her  parasol  and  basket  bonnet , attracted  much  attention. 
We  were  shown  the  lions,  bulls,  giant  men,  one  hug- 
ging a lion  under  his  arm,  a veritable  Nimrod,  — lion- 
headed, horned,  winged  men  guarding  the  harem, — 
castles,  warriors,  horses,  and  trappings,  — rivers  and  fish 
in  stone,  — fig  and  pomegranate  trees,  grape-vines  and 
clusters,  — slaves,  and  officers,  arrows,  daggers,  sledges, 
chariots,  arrow-headed  inscriptions,  &c.,  &c.  — all  in  ruins. 
The  fire  destroyed  the  palace  ere  it  was  completed,  as  is 
evident  from  some  unfinished  sculptures.  This  is  espe- 
cially true  of  the  gigantic  bulls  and  winged  human  figures 
in  the  small  mound  at  the  north  side  of  the  city.  The 
bulls  there  stand  at  the  gate,  and  are  solid  blocks,  some 
twelve  feet  square,  and  very  thick.  What  giants  there 


BIBLE  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


245 


were  in  those  days!  What  symbols  of  God  — those 
wings,  and  legs,  and  that  human  face  ! 

“ The  most  interesting  relic  in  Koyunjik,  was  the  stone 
containing  the  image  of  Sennacherib  himself,  seated  on  a 
splendid  chair,  in  the  midst  of  prisoners  and  dignitaries. 
His  face  was  cut  off  by  some  foe,  and  his  wrists  were  also 
mangled.  The  whole  room  contains  a representation,  as 
Layard  thinks,  of  the  siege  of  Lachish.*  The  counte- 
nances of  the  captives  are  decidedly  Jewish. 

“ On  our  way  back  to  the  city,  Lucy’s  saddle  turned, 
and  she  fell  from  her  donkey.  A second  time  she  fell 
from  fainting,  and  it  was  with  much  difficulty  she  reached 
home.  She  was  very,  very  weak.  I thought  of  the  pos- 
sibility of  her  dying  there,  on  the  very  sands  of  Nineveh, 
but  she  revived.  On  crossing  the  bridge  of  boats,  I 
noticed  a servant,  behind  his  master,  holding  an  umbrella 
over  him,  just  as  is  seen  on  the  stones  of  Koyunjik.  A 
servant  in  the  East,  even  though  he  goes  as  a guide , goes 
behind  his  master.  This  fact  explains  the  apparent 
anomaly  in  that  beautiful  promise  : c Thine  ears  shall 
hear  a word  behind  thee,  saying,  This  is  the  way,  walk  ye 
in  it.’  No  un traveled  American  has  any  idea  of  the 
commonness  of  illustrations  of  Scripture  here.  The 
Patriarchs  were  the  prototypes  of  the  present  Sheikhs  of 
the  Arabs ; only  their  fear  and  love  of  God  made  them 
more  regardful  of  cleanliness  and  justice.  Christ  was 
doubtless  dressed  in  ziboon , f turban,  and  sandals,  very 
nearly  such  as  the  Christians  use  throughout  the  East  at 
the  present  day.  He  spoke  of  the  women  grinding  at  the 
mill ; the  vine,  and  its  branches  ; the  olive,  and  its  fruits ; 
the  new  and  old  bottles  (of  skin)  ; the  seats  at  feasts ; 
greetings  in  the  markets ; the  robe  of  the  prodigal ; Phar- 
isees and  publicans,  &c.,  &c.  We  feel  that  this  is  the 
home  of  the  whole  Bible.  That,  my  brother,  is  a true 


* See  2 Kings,  18, 14;  also  Is.  36,  2. 
21* 


t A long,  loose  robe. 


246 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


book, — it  is  our  only  chart.  Study  it  daily,  that  you 
may  grow  in  the  knowledge  of  God  and  your  own  heart.” 

Busy  as  he  was  in  his  great  work,  Dr.  Lobdell  was 
already  deeply  interested  in  speculations  touching  not 
only  the  antiquities,  but  the  languages  of  that  ancient 
world.  He  seized  with  especial  eagerness  on  every  thing 
he  could  see  or  learn,  which  could  shed  any  light  on  the 
connection  between  those  ancient  families  of  languages, 
the  Aramaean  and  the  Sanscrit,  and  on  the  question, 
whether  Egypt,  Assyria,  and  India  were,  or  were  not, 
independent  centers  of  civilization.  As  bearing  on  these 
questions,  he  mentions,  on  the  one  hand,  “the  cylinder 
lately  found  at  Kalah  Sherghat  ” (the  Calah  of  Genesis, 
and  the  ancient  capital  of  Assyria),  which  “proves  that 
the  farther  we  go  back  in  the  history  of  Assyria,  the 
more  evidence  we  have  of  the  perfection  of  its  art ; ” and 
on  the  other,  “ the  Bohistun  inscription,  which  Col.  Raw- 
linson  first  deciphered,  and  pronounced  to  be  arroiv- 
Tieaded  Sanscrit .” 

He  found  little  leisure  for  reading  at  this  time. 
Among  the  books  from  America,  which  he  read  with 
great  interest,  was  “Uncle  Tom’s  Cabin.”  “Read  aloud 
Uncle  Tom.  Eva  drew  tears  from  our  eyes,  and  I could 
not  go  on.  What  a wonderful  work!  What  truthful- 
ness ! How  it  touches  the  heart ! Little  Eva  has  done 
my  soul  good ; let  me  keep  in  mind  that  perfect  ideal  of 
Christianity,  and  bless  God  for  Mrs.  Stowe.  She  has 
preached  with  power  to  my  heart.  I must  write  her  a 
letter  acknowledging  my  gratitude.” 

The  days  when  the  post  arrives  and  departs,  are,  of 
course,  days  of  great  interest  in  that  far-off  land,  the 
former  bringing  letters  from  home  and  friends,  “ across 
the  sea  and  across  the  mountains,”  the  latter  imposing 
the  necessity  of  answering  them,  often  on  short  notice, 
and  with  great  despatch.  And  it  illustrates,  as  scarcely 
any  other  fact  could,  the  absorption  of  Dr.  Lobdell  in  his 


MOSLEMS  LIKE  CHIEF  PRIESTS  AND  PHARISEES.  247 


work  at  this  time,  that  often  lie  could  not  find  time  to 
read  his  letters  till  bed-time ; and  very  often  he  was 
obliged  to  leave  letters  unanswered  by  the  proper  post. 
And  it  fared  still  worse  with  the  newspapers  which  he 
received  from  Europe  and  America,  though  at  this  time 
every  post  brought  startling  intelligence  of  the  incipient 
movements  of  the  great  powers  in  the  Turkish  war,  which 
could  not  but  deeply  interest  him,  not  only  in  its  political 
aspects,  but  also  in  its  bearings  on  the  missionary  enter- 
prise in  the  Turkish  Empire.  It  was  Dr.  Lobdell’s 
expectation,  that  Russia  would  wait  till  England  and 
France  got  into  difficulty  with  each  other,  and  thus, 
sooner  or  later,  obtain  possession  of  Constantinople. 
“Oh,  what  torrents  of  Christian  blood  are  to  be  spilt 
within  these  few  years ! God,  the  God  of  all  wisdom  and 
goodness,  will  make  the  ambition  of  kings  subserve  his 
kingdom,  as  well  as  the  humble  labors  and  jmayers  of 
the  meanest  saint.” 

It  gave  a peculiar  zest  to  the  discussions,  in  which  he 
engaged  with  the  Mohammedans  and  the  nominal  Chris- 
tians, when  he  saw  and  reflected  how  exactly  he  was 
called  to  repeat  with  the  former  the  experience  of  Christ 
and  the  apostles  in  ancient  Syria  and  Judea,  and  to  fight 
over  again  with  the  latter  the  battles  of  the  Reformation 
in  Germany,  France,  and  Great  Britain.  All  his  famil- 
iarity with  every  fact  and  feature  of  the  Bible,  and  all  his 
acquaintance  with  the  history  of  the  Reformation,  which 
he  had  gained  not  only  by  his  general  reading,  but  by  his 
special  study  and  translation  of  the  work  of  M.  De  Felice, 
were  now  taxed  to  the  utmost,  partly  as  furnishing  matter 
for  each  particular  argument,  and  partly  as  general  guides 
to  the  best  method  of  carrying  on  discussion  and  gaining 
influence. 

The  Mohammedans,  often  grossly  intemperate,  generally 
debauched  with  sensual  gratification,  almost  without  ex- 
ception “full  of  extortion  and  all  unclea*iness,”  trampling 


248 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


under  foot  the  Sabbath,  and  profaning  the  name  of  God 
thoughtlessly  in  every  breath,  yet  proud,  bigoted,  profess- 
ing great  reverence  for  the  law  and  the  gospel  as  well  as 
for  the  Koran,  garnishing  the  sepulchres  of  the  patriarchs 
and  the  prophets,  bowing  at  the  name,  not  of  Mohammed 
only,  but  also  of  Moses  and  J esus,  boasting  that  they  are 
the  people,  the  peculiar  people  of  God,  despising  the  na- 
tive Christians  as  infidel  dogs,  and  manifesting  their  ha- 
tred for  European  and  American  Christians  just  as  much 
as  they  dare  to  manifest  it  in  their  present  state  of  sub- 
jection and  dependence  on  the  great  powers  of  Europe*  — 
the  Mohammedans  constantly  reminded  him  of  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees  in  the  days  of  our  Lord;  and  he  reasoned 
with  them,  reproved  them,  silenced  them  by  similar  argu- 
ments drawn  from  the  Scriptures,  in  which  they  “think” 
they  “have  eternal  life.”  Sadducees,  however,  — infidels 
* — there  are  none  among  the  Moslems ; and  for  a very 
good  reason  — none  are  tolerated.  Indeed,  few  are  any 
longer  capable  of  thinking  or  believing  otherwise  than  as 
their  fathers  have  done  before  them.  Men  who  have  worn 
fetters  and  manacles  till  they  have  lost  the  use  of  their 
limbs,  are  in  little  danger  of  stretching  forth  their  hands 
to  pluck  forbidden  fruit.  Christianity  alone  gives  the  lib- 
erty and  the  capacity  for  free  thinking,  free  speaking  and 
free  printing  ; Christianity  alone  invites  investigation,  and 
says,  “ Come,  let  us  reason  together.”  Infidels  are  in- 
debted to  Christianity  for  the  very  freedom  and  power, 
which  they  turn  against  it.  Dr.  Lobdell  records  a little 
incident,  which  illustrates  well  both  the  prejudices  and 

* Another  point  of  resemblance  might  be  added,  viz. : a truly  Jewish  abhor- 
rence of  swine’s  flesh.  No  Christian,  even,  is  allowed  — no  man  would  dare, 
to  offer  pork  for  sale  in  the  market.  Dr.  Lobdell  tells  an  amusing  story  of  a 
poor  fellow  who  had  killed  a pig,  and  was  carrying  it  concealed  with  the  ut- 
most care  under  his  cloak,  into  the  city,  when  he  was  unfortunately  detected  at 
the  gate  by  a revenue  officer.  The  Moslems  stood  aghast  at  the  sight;  they 
could  scarcely  have  been  more  appalled  if  a torpedo  had  suddenly  explode 
before  them;  and  the  poor  Christian  dropped  his  pig,  ran  for  his  life,  and  hid 
himself  in  the  mountains,  till  the  storm  of  Moslem  indignation  had  passed  away. 


IGNORANCE  OF  TIIE  CHIEF  MEN. 


240 


the  implicit  faith  of  the  Moslems.  “A  Moslem  said,  the 
Koran  asserts  that  Esau  (Jesus)  was  not  crucified,  but 
was  taken  to  heaven  by  the  angels,  and  the  Injeel  (Gos- 
pel) says,  he  suffered  crucifixion.  IIow  can  we  reconcile 
the  statements  ? I told  him,  that  one  or  the  other  was 
false.  He  thought  not.  God,  he  said,  was  the  author 
of  both,  and  perhaps  he  knows  how  to  reconcile  the  diffi- 
culty!” 

The  ignorance,  even  of  the  beys  and  effendis,  not  only 
on  sacred  history  but  on  common  subjects,  was  astonish- 
ing. “A  bey  wanted  to  know,  if  Nimrod  did  not  live  in 
the  time  of  the  Father  of  the  Faithful.  I astonished  him 
by  telling  him,  that  Nimrod  lived  some  two  hundred  and 
fifty  years  before  Abraham.  He  then  wanted  to  know 
which  was  born  first,  Isaiah  or  Moses.  History  these 
people  know  nothing  about.  Their  dates  are  always 
from  some  remarkable  occurrence.  Few  know  their  ages. 
Indeed,  I never  asked  a person  here  his  age,  who  did  not 
say,  “ Perhaps  — years.”  “ Perhaps  ! Do  n’t  you  know  ? ” 
“ How  can  I ? ” “I  was  reading  the  London  and  New 
York  papers,  when  four  Moslems  came  in.  They  wanted 
to  know  if  these  were  written  with  a reed  (pen.)  They 
opened  their  eyes  wide,  when  I told  them  of  the  thousands 
of  copies  newly  printed  at  a single  press  daily.  They 
could  not  understand  how  the  printing  was  performed. 
So  I tried  to  enlighten  them  upon  Hoe’s  press.  I might 
as  well  have  tried  to  show  a donkey  the  process.  But 
they  saw  enough  to  exclaim,  “ W allah,  Wallah ! ”*  The 
common  people  charged  Dr.  Lobdell  with  worshiping  the 
skeleton  that  hung  in  his  study,  and  the  Christians  of 
France  and  England  with  carrying  off  the  gods  of  the  old 
Assyrians  to  worship  them  as  idols  ! 

The  papists  excited  many  prejudices  against  the  mis- 
sionaries and  Protestants  by  their  lies  and  misrepresenta- 

t The  Mussulman’s  exclamation  of  surprise  or  indignation.  It  contains  the 
name  of  God,  (Allah.) 


250 


MEMOIIl  OF  LOBDELL. 


lions.  “ Kos  Butrus,  who  was  for  twelve  years  in  the 
Propaganda  at  Rome,  and  who  is  the  great  reliance  of  the 
Chaldeans  at  Mosul,  told  his  people  that  Luther  was  the 
king  of  England,  and  trusting  to  get  rid  of  the  self- 
denying  duties  of  the  Catholic  religion,  invented  a scheme 
which  would  allow  the  full  indulgence  of  the  appetites 
and  passions.  In  one  of  the  books  studied  at  Rabban 
Hormuzd,  Luther  is  declared  to  have  hurled  the  inkstand 
at  the  devil’s  head  in  a public  assembly,  while  he  was 
preaching,  because  his  conscience  told  him  he  was  utter- 
ing a lie,  and  the  devil  (for  a wonder)  seconded  his  con- 
science. At  another  time,  as  he  was  engaged  in  his 
religious  work  of  translating  the  Bible  into  the  vulgar 
tongue,  the  image  of  Christ  which  stood  before  him, 
frowned  on  him,  and  he  took  it  down  and  smashed  it 
with  a stone.” 

Dr.  Lobdell’s  discussions  with  the  Chaldeans,  Syrians, 
and  Jacobites,  were  on  the  same  subjects  which  the  early 
Reformers  discussed  with  the  Catholics  of  their  day  — 
justification  by  faith  or  works,  venial  sins,  baptismal  re- 
generation, transubstantiation,  fasts  and  feasts,  worship 
of  the  saints  and  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  the  mutilation  of 
the  Ten  Commandments.  And  the  arguments  which  he 
has  recorded,  so  fully  as  to  fill  scores  of  pages  in  his  jour- 
nal, only  need  a little  expansion  and  dramatizing  by  some 
B’Aubigne,  and  scarcely  need  that,  to  give  them  all  the 
excitement  and  fascination  of  a second  History  of  the 
Reformation.  A single  passage  of  Scripture,  or  a single 
appeal  to  common  sense,  would  often  flash  conviction  on 
their  understandings  and  consciences,  if  not  on  their 
hearts.  “Four  Syrians  from  Kara  Kosh  denied  that  Mary 
was  a sinner.  ‘ Why,  she  was  the  mother  of  God ! ’ 
The  passage  in  Luke,  ‘ My  spirit  hath  rejoiced  in  God, 
my  Saviour ,’  was  a poser  to  them.” 

“‘Are  all  sins  alike?’  said  the  chief  speaker.  ‘Is  there 
a great  and  a small  God  ? ’ said  I.  This  seemed  to  put 
matters  in  a new  light  to  him.” 


DISCUSSIONS. 


251 


“In  proof  of  the  doctrine  of  transubstantiation,  some 
Chaldeans  cited  the  declaration,  4 This  is  my  body.’  I 
replied  by  quoting,  4 This  is  Elias,  which  was  for  to 
come ; ’ 4 This  cup  is  the  new  testament  in  my  blood ; ’ 
4 It  is  the  Lord’s  passover,’  ” &c. 

The  doctrine  of  baptismal  regeneration,  Dr.  Lobdell 
would  sometimes  meet  by  a supposition,  which  set  the  sub- 
ject before  them  in  the  light  of  their  own  sad  experience. 
44  Suppose,”  said  he,  44  a Catholic  priest  baptizes  a Moslem 
child.  According  to  your  doctrine,  the  Holy  Spirit  also 
regenerates  him ; and  according  to  1 John,  3 : 9,  4 He  that 
is  born  of  God,  cannot  sin , ’ that  is,  never  is  willing  to 
sin.  But  this  boy  grows  up,  and  becomes  a bigoted  Mos- 
lem ; obeys  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the  Koran  by  killing 
those  who  refuse  Mohammed’s  alternatives — himself,  trib- 
ute, or  the  sword.  Is  this  the  baptism  — this  the  regenera- 
tion required  for  an  entrance  into  the  kingdom  of  God  ? ” 

These  discussions  did  much  to  enlighten,  as  well  as  to 
awaken,  the  minds  of  the  people.  The  medical  practice 
was  perhaps  the  colter  that  cut  the  surface  and  opened 
the  way  for  the  truth,  but  these  discussions  were  the 
plowshare  that  tore  up  the  roots  of  old  errors,  of  which 
the  soil  was  full,  and  prepared  it  to  receive  the  good  seed, 
which  the  missionaries  did  not  fail,  at  the  same  time,  to 
scatter  in  the  fresh  and  open  furrows. 

The  following  extracts  from  a letter  to  his  friend  Seelye 
— the  only  one  of  his  letters  written  during  this  period 
for  which  we  have  space  — will  show  that  his  missionary 
work,  exciting  and  engrossing  as  it  was,  did  not  narrow 
his  sympathies  — did  not  diminish  his  interest  in  his 
friends,  his  country,  or  mankind. 

Mosul,  Feb.  10th,  1853. 

Mr  ever  Dear  J. : — My  joy  was  great  on  the  arrival 
of  our  last  mail,  bringing  as  it  did  yours  from  Rome,  and 
a second  from  Halle.  Those  sheets  were  full  of  interest 
to  me.  Then  you  have  visited  44  the  Eternal  City.”  I 


252 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


have  seen  the  grave  of  Polycarp,  the  Rhodes  of  classic  and 
knightly  memory,  and  the  battle-grounds  of  the  Crusad- 
ers, and  of  Alexander.  Did  we  dream  of  such  visits  when 
at  Amherst  ? How  has  God  led  us  ! Yes,  brother,  I do 
fully  believe  with  you,  that  he  who  commits  himself  en- 
tirely to  God,  will  make  no  great  mistakes  in  life.  And  is 
it  possible  that  our  paths  which  have  diverged  so  widely, 
“ may  yet  meet  and  flow  on  together  again  in  this  life  ? ” 
This  is  “ a consummation  devoutly  to  be  wished,”  but 
hardly  to  be  anticipated.  Your  course  seems  plain  ; and 
as  for  myself,  I know  of  no  post  in  any  country,  for  which 
I wish  to  exchange  my  humble  one  here.  Yot  a day 
passes  that  I do  not  see  visible  fruit  from  my  labors.  The 
seed  I sow  not  only  has  the  promise  of  God  in  its  behalf, 
but  the  early  fulfillment  of  that  promise.  I have  learned  to 
look  upon  the  distinctions  of  this  life  with  perfect  indiffer- 
ence ; and  I think  if  I should  ever  return  to  America,  my 
old  ambition  to  be  something  and  to  do  something,  would 
give  way  entirely  to  the  simple  desire  to  elevate  the  spirit- 
ual condition  of  my  countrymen.  And  I rejoice  to  know, 
that  your  visit  to  Europe  has  led  you  to  resolve  on  the  same 
thing.  As  it  is  a settled  question  that  you  labor  in  Amer- 
ica, I am  exceedingly  glad  to  learn  that  your  life  there 
will  be  an  earnest  testimony  to  the  personal,  social,  and 
national  benefits  of  spiritual  Christianity.  I can  but  hope 
that  your  labors  in  the  pulpit  will  be  so  blessed  of  God, 
that  you  will  be  loth  to  confine  yourself  to  a student’s 
closet.  If  you  will  be  a student,  make  your  labors  bear 
upon  the  people,  not  remotely,  but  as  immediately  as  pos- 
sible. I almost  worship  Luther,  in  spite  of  his  despicable 
treatment  of  Zwingle,  and  chiefly  because  his  efforts  had 
an  immediate  reference  to  the  wants  of  the  people . And 
so  Calvin,  in  spite  of  his  treatment  of  Servetus,  deserves 
immortal  honor,  because  his  labors,  profound  as  they  were, 
all  had  a practical  bearing. 

If  you  take  either  department  at , I hope  it  will  be 


LETTER  TO  MR.  SEE  LYE.  253 

history.  This  topic  needs  attention  — not  the  history  of 
the  church  so  much,  since  Neander  has  given  his  life  to 
it,  — but  history  in  general,  embracing  ethnology  and  the 
relations  of  languages. 4 Some  one  is  wanted  in  America, 
who  will  write  for  infidels  a book  proving  that  the  Bible 
is  the  icord  of  God.  And  if  I mistake  not,  inquiries  di- 
rected to  Egypt,  Assyria,  Jewish  antiquities,  the  different 
early  versions  of  the  Scriptures,  the  relations  of  Abra- 
ham’s descendants  to  the  progress  of  true  ideas  of  God, 
&c.,  will  prove  eminently  useful. 

All  my  unasked-for  advice  is  summed  up  in  the  sole 
idea,  that  whatever  gives  a present  healthful  impulse  to 
society,  is  far  better  than  that  which  is  confined  to  pon- 
derous tomes  of  unavailable  thought.  Compare  Chalmers 
with  Kant,  Pascal  with  Cousin,  and  Washington  with 
Aristotle,  or  even  Bacon.  All  that  America  wants  is  a 
live  gospel. 

I agree  with  you  that  human  freedom  has  a most  im- 
portant part  to  play  in  human  history.  Indeed,  the  great 
battle  of  this  world  is  freedom  versus  slavery,  — slavery 
in  its  broadest  sense,  and  freedom  as  involving  the  liberty 
with  which  Christ  makes  his  children  free.  As  civil  lib- 
erty is  impossible  without  the  gospel,  so  spiritual  tyranny 
is  impossible  where  the  gospel  is  a living  power.  My  ar- 
gument for  missions  has  reference  to  the  perpetuity  of 
American  institutions.  Is  there  one  thing  more  prophetic 
of  good  to  our  country  than  the  benevolent  enterprises  of 
the  land  ? Tariff  and  free  trade,  rum,  negro  slavery,  and 
Northern  conscience  about  it,  are  small  matters  in  com- 
parison with  the  genuine  benevolence  of  the  age.  Indeed, 
free  trade  and  a full  play  for  conscience  are  to  be  speedy 
fruits  of  a general  self-forgetfulness  in  the  church. 

Our  work  is  very  promising  now.  My  hands  are  full. 
Patients  are  thick  as  grasshoppers,  and  from  morning  till 
night  my  study  is  crowded  with  Christians  and  Moslems 
to  discuss  the  question  of  salvation  by  grace.  My  soul  is 
22 


254 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


fed  by  communion  with  Bible  truth.  What  a mine  ! How 
little  it  is  searched  even  in  the  States.  One  has  no  doubt 
here  of  the  antiquity  and  veracity  of  the  Bible.  Have 
you  seen  that  at  Susa,  the  Shushan  of  Daniel,  a stone  was 
recently  found  in  the  palace  of  Darius  bearing  the  figures 
of  lions  and  a man  ? Excavations  are  still  prosecuted 
vigorously  in  the  Tigris  valley.  The  large  mound  called 
Kalah  Sherghat,  four  days  down  the  river,  promises  some 
wonders,  and  daily  a plenty  of  arrow-headed  inscriptions 
turn  up  at  Nimrood  and  Koyunjik. 

Have  you  read  “Uncle  Tom?”  I have  a copy  en  route 
from  Aleppo.  Twenty-one  translations  in  Germany ! 
Well,  let  our  kinswoman  preach  to  the  thinkers  of  Ger- 
many and  the  dancers  of  France.  By  the  way,  this  book 
illustrates  what  I mean  by  affecting  the  masses.  Has  not 
Mrs.  Stowe  preached  better  than  Bellamy  or  Hopkins  ? 

The  last  entry  in  that  volume  of  Dr.  Lobdell’s  journal, 
which  ends  with  this  chapter,  closes  as  follows  (it  is  for 
May  7th,  1853)  : “ From  five  to  forty  have  been  in  my 
study  all  the  afternoon.  Our  disputes  and  appeals  were 
earnest.  At  the  5asr,  Jeremiah  showed  much  keenness  in 
managing  the  argument  with  the  papists.  The  mass  is  to 
them  the  sure  means  of  salvation.  The  heat  is  great. 
The  sky  is  very  red.  Summer  has  indeed  come.  Ther- 
mometer 93°.  Evening  meeting  interesting. 

One  year  ago  I landed  in  Mosul . This  last  day  of  that 
year  has  been  profitably  spent.  I have  declared  the  truth 
to  these  people  to  the  best  of  my  ability.  Shall  I record 
the  close  of  another  year  in  Mosul  ? If  not,  may  God  fit 
me  speedily  for  the  passage  through  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death.  Whatever  be  his  will,  I pray  that  it 
may  be  done.” 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Second  Summer  in  Mosul  — The  Heat  — Insects— Missionary  Labors  and  Joys 

— Arrival  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marsh  — Commentary  on  the  Book  of  Jonah  — 
The  Hot  Sun  — The  East  Wind  — The  Gourd  — The  “Exceeding  Great  City  ” 

— Articles  on  Mosul  — Nestorian  and  Jacobite  Liturgies  — Prophecy  — Tour 
to  Oroomiah  — Bartulli  — Churches  — Trees  — Threshing  — Karamels  — An- 
cient Bumadus  — The  Zab  — An  Old  Friend  — Nocturnal  Adventures  — 
Arbeel — Ain  Kawa  — Preaching  till  Midnight  — Sheikh  Laua  — Exciting 
Scenes  — Koords  — Night  Ride  — Ravendouz  —Basalt  Pillars  — An  Encounter 

— Oroomiah  — A Paradise  — Sickness  — Letter  of  Dr.  Perkins  — “ Our  Coun- 
try’s Sin  ” — Anti-Slavery  Circular  — Peculiar  Policy  of  the  Nestorian  Mis- 
sion— Life  in  and  around  Oroomiah  — Visit  to  Tabreez  with  Mr.  Cochran  — 
Narrow  Escape  on  the  Lake  of  Oroomiah  — Return  with  Messrs.  Rhea  and 
Coan  to  Mosul  — Gawar  — Deacon  Tamo  — Mountains  of  Jeloo  — Valleys  — 
Love  of  Home  — Erwintoos-Too  — - Bass  — Tekhoina—  Scene  of  the  Massacre 

— Dr.  Grant. 

The  second  season  is  usually  the  most  trying  to  a for- 
eigner in  the  process  of  acclimation,  whether  it  be  in  a 
warm  or  cold  climate.  As  the  heat  of  summer  began  to 
return,  at  the  beginning  of  his  second  year  in  Mosul,  we 
find  Dr.  Lobdell  shrinking  from  it,  as  a Southerner  does 
from  the  cold  of  a second  winter  at  the  North,  and  feeling 
its  power  more  than  he  had  done  the  previous  year.  He 
thus  writes,  May  9th,  1853,  to  his  brother,  who  was  now 
a member  of  Phillips  Academy  at  Andover.  “ Andover 
is  a beautiful  place  in  summer,  whatever  it  be  in  winter. 
It  is  just  the  opposite  of  Mosul  in  this  respect.  Here  the 
winter  is  very  agreeable  ; but  the  summer  is  a sort  of  pur- 
gatory, — it  has  already  begun.  The  mercury  is  in  the 
daily  habit  even  now  of  getting  up  to  90°,  or  more.  The 
fields  are  “ dry  as  summer’s  dust.”  W e get  into  the  cool- 
est places  we  can  find,  taking  great  care  to  have  the  rooms 
opened  at  night  and  closely  shut  in  the  morning.  Large, 


256 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


thick  curtains,  some  fifteen  feet  square,  hang  over  our  two 
leewans  ; and  in  the  one,  where  I am  now  hastily  writing 
this  note,  are  three  Jacobites  and  a big-turbaned  Moslem, 

— the  last,  of  course,  puffing  away  at  his  icalyoon, , or 
yard-long  pipe.  The  Christians  are  investigating  the  gos- 
pels. From  morning  to  night,  especially  on  feast-days, 
of  which  there  are  some  fifty  a year  in  each  Christian 
sect,  I am  engaged  in  expounding  the  Scriptures,  or  press- 
ing them  on  the  hearts  of  my  visitors.  It  is  delightful 
work.  True,  they  are  bigoted,  obstinate,  “ dead  in  tres- 
passes and  sins ; ” but  this  is  only  another  reason  why, 
with  all  my  might,  I should  try  to  show  them  the  true 
way  to  heaven.  When  Mr.  Marsh  arrives,  as  he  knows 
the  colloquial  Arabic  better  than  any  of  us,  he  will  greatly 
relieve  me  at  the  dispensary.  I have  a study  full  of  in- 
vestigators every  day,  and  often  my  brain  whirls  at  the 
close  of  the  discussions.  . . . Fleas  are  one  of  the  chief 
sources  of  our  discomfort  in  the  spring.  There  are  some 
gnawing,  or  boring,  or  sucking  my  poor  body  constantly . 
I have  to  scratch  at  every  line  ? When  the  mercury  gets 
up  to  100°,  they  will  begin  to  retreat.  Flies,  too,  are 
pretty  much  burned  out  after  July.  A sort  office  abound 
when  fleas  do  not,  and  a sand-fly  also.  Ants  are  in  the 
food  at  all  seasons.  Mosquitoes  are  not  wanting,  though 
less  numerous,  for  a wonder,  than  with  you.  . . . Still 
Mosul  is  a desirable  place  for  a missionary.  W e feel  that 
we  are  not  laboring  in  vain.  If  I should  die  this  very 
summer,  I do  not  think  I should  have  occasion  to  regret 
having  come  here  to  spend  my  days.  You  can  not  tell 
with  what  intensity  of  conviction  the  truth  of  the  gospel 
scheme  of  salvation  presses  the  heart  here.  The  gospel, 

— the  doctrines  of  Christ’s  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  — in 

these  fie  the  hope  of  Turkey  and  the  world Now, 

my  dear  brother,  I must  close.  May  the  God  of  all  grace 
be  with  you.  Heaven  is  a gift,  not  a matter  of  debt; 
but  we  can  so  five  as  to  secure  a seat  near  Paul  and  Luther. 


TI1E  HOOK  OF  JON AU. 


257 


Love  to  Christ,  who  loved  us  and  gave  himself  for  us,  — 
this  should  be  the  prime  motive  of  action.  May  no  vain 
ambition  lead  you  astray ; but  may  you  have  the  noble 
ambition  to  do  in  all  things  the  will  of  God.” 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  very  day  on  which  the  above 
letter  was  written,  the  families  of  the  missionaries  and  the 
whole  Protestant  community  were  thrown  into  a state  of 
pleasing  excitement  by  the  arrival  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marsh. 
Mr.  Marsh  was  no  stranger  at  Mosul ; he  was  well  known 
and  greatly  beloved ; and  being  already  acquainted  with 
the  language,  was  able  at  once  greatly  to  lighten  the 
labors  of  his  brethren  and  add  to  the  strength  of  the 
mission. 

Thus,  relieved  somewhat  of  the  extreme  pressure  which 
had  been  upon  him  day  and  night,  during  the  winter  and 
spring,  Dr.  Lobdell  no  sooner  found  a moment’s  leisure, 
than  his  active  mind  began  to  form  projects  of  literary 
labor,  which,  however,  would  partake  largely  of  the  nature 
of  recreation.  He  conceived  the  idea  of  a brief  com- 
mentary on  the  Book  of  Jonah,  in  which  he  could  avail 
himself  of  advantages  for  local  illustration  which  others 
had  not  possessed.  His  own  experience  enabled  him  to 
conceive,  as  he  never  could  have  done  in  his  native  land, 
how,  “ when  the  sun  did  arise  ” and  “ beat  upon  the  head 
of  Jonah,”  “ he  fainted  and  wished  in  himself  to  die,  and 
said,  It  is  better  for  me  to  die,  than  to  live,”  if  he  had 
heard  beforehand  of  the  heat  of  the  climate,  as  well  as  the 
wickedness  of  the  inhabitants.  The  Doctor  scarcely  won- 
dered that  the  prophet  “ fled  to  Tarshish,”  when  he  was 
commanded  to  go  to  “ Nineveh,  that  great  city,  and  cry 
against  it  ” 

“ The  east  wind,  (south,  south-east,)  is  not  to  be  mis- 
taken ; it  withers  and  prostrates  all  before  it.  Clouds  of 
dust  and  stubble  are  borne  before  it,  and  the  hot  air  almost 
suffocates  one.  In  the  margin,  vehement  is  rendered  silent. 
The  latter  is  the  most  correct  rendering  philologically  and 


258 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


in  fact,  for  this  simoon  is  perfectly  silent,  yet  it  bears 
down  all  opposition.  It  does  not  occur  in  the  winter 
months,  but  from  spring  till  autumn.” 

In  identifying  “the  gourd”  he  hesitated  for  a time 
between  the  castor-oil  plant,  ( el-Jceroa ,)  which  in  the  lan- 
guage of  Egypt,  bears  a name  having  the  same  root  as 
the  Hebrew  word  rendered  gourd , and  which  many  of  the 
early  fathers  and  most  modern  scholars  have  supposed  to 
be  the  gourd  of  Jonah  ; and  a species  of  pumpkin-squash 
( el-hera ) peculiar  to  the  East,  which  grows  with  aston- 
ishing rapidity,  and  has  very  large  leaves  and  very  large 
fruit,  and  which  is  pronounced  to  be  Jonah’s  gourd  by  the 
unanimous  verdict  of  Moslems,  Jews,  and  Christians  at 
Mosul.  On  more  mature  reflection,  he  seems  to  have 
settled  down  rather  upon  the  latter  opinion.  “ The  castor- 
oil  plant  is  cultivated  to  some  extent  here,  but  is  never 
trained,  like  the  kera  or  pumpkin-squash,  to  run  over 
structures  of  mud  and  brush  to  form  4 booths ,’  in  which  the 
gardeners  may  protect  themselves  from  the  terrible  beams 
of  the  Asiatic  sun.  I have  seen,  at  a single  glance,  dozens 
of  these  booths  — these  lodges  in  the  fields  of  melons  and 
cucumbers  around  the  old  walls  of  Nineveh,  (Is.  1 : 8,)  — 
covered  with  the  vines  of  the  leer  a,  of  which  there  are 
numerous  species,  the  fruit  of  which  varies  from  one  to 
fifty  pounds.  One  species,  growing  in  Kurdistan,  a few 
days  distant  from  Mosul,  is  a genuine  gourd , but  there  is 
no  probability  that  it  ever  flourished  on  the  hot  plains  of 
Mosul.”  * 

In  regard  to  the  extent  of  that  44  exceeding  great  city  of 
three  days'  journey ,”  though  not  fully  established  in  his 
own  opinion,  he  seems  to  have  inclined  to  the  view  of 
Loftus,  Kitto,  and  others,  that  the  44  three  days’ journey,” 
is  to  be  understood  of  the  circuit . of  the  city,  which,  if  it 
embraced  the  four  mounds,  as  suggested  in  aformer  chapter, 

* See  an  interesting  correspondence  on  this  subject  in  the  Bibliotheca  Sacra 
for  April,  1855,  between  Dr.  Lobdell  and  Prof.  Stowe,  of  Andover. 


ANCIENT  LITURGIES 


259 


would  bo  just  about  three  days’ journey,  or  sixty  miles, 
and  would,  moreover,  like  Babylon  and  other  old  cities  of 
Mesopotamia,  present,  not  its  sides,  but  its  angles,  towards 
the  cardinal  points. 

While  correcting  the  errors  of  the  Article  on  Mosul,  in 
McCulloch’s  Geographical  Dictionary,  the  idea  occurred 
to  him  of  preparing  a series  of  articles,  or  a small  treatise 
on  the  present  condition  of  Mosul  and  vicinity,  its  phys- 
ical features,  its  vegetable  and  animal  productions,  its 
social  and  political  relations,  and  its  moral  and  religious 
state,  thinking  that  he  might  thus  do  a service,  at  least, 
to  some  future  McCulloch ; and  with  his  usual  prompt- 
ness, he  immediately  laid  out  his  plan  and  began  to  collect 
his  materials. 

He  was  also  much  interested,  at  this  time,  in  investi- 
gating the  composition  and  significance  of  the  names  of 
Assyrians  and  Babylonians  which  we  find  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  the  relations  of  the  liturgies  of  the  Nestorian 
and  Jacobite  churches  to  that  of  the  ancient  and  venerable 
church  of  Syria,  or  Antioch.  He  discovered,  to  his  sur- 
prise, that  the  Jacobites  and  Nestorians  had  essentially 
the  same  liturgy,  and  that  they  held  it  so  sacred  that  even 
papal  power  and  cunning  had  not  been  able  to  induce 
converts  from  those  churches  to  relinquish  it.  Yet  on 
looking  into  this  liturgy,  which  these  sects  thus  hold  in 
common,  he  found  passages  which  savored  more  of  papal 
corruption  than  of  extreme  antiquity,  to  say  nothing  of 
apostolic  simplicity  and  purity. 

He  also  set  down  at  this  time,  as  a subject  of  future 
research,  the  connection  of  the  Manicliean  philosophy  with 
Oriental  Christianity,  of  which,  he  was  persuaded,  the 
religion  of  the  Yezidees  was  a palpable  relic.  He  did  not 
live  to  finish  any  of  these  researches. 

In  common  with  other  missionaries  in  the  East,  Dr. 
Lobdell  watched  with  intense  interest  and  anxiety  the 
cloud  of  war  that  was  now  hanging  over  Constantinople, 


260 


MEMOIR  OF  LOHDELL. 


looked  at  it  in  its  relation  to  prophecy,  as  well  as  to  the 
progress  of  the  missionary  work,  and  expected  great 
changes  that  would  shed  light  on  the  Scriptures,  as  well 
as  open  the  way  for  the  advancement  of  the  Redeemer’s 
kingdom.  He  was  far,  however,  from  being  one  of  those 
sanguine  and  positive  interpreters  of  prophecy,  who  can 
read  the  roll  before  the  seals  are  opened,  and  who,  though 
always  disappointed  in  their  calculations,  can  always 
rectify  their  figures  so  as  to  save  their  confidence,  if  not 
their  credit,  as  sons  of  the  prophets.  Still  less  did  he,  like 
some  missionaries  of  other  boards  and  from  other  countries, 
expect  that  the  Turkish  war  was  to  be  the  immediate 
forerunner  of  Christ’s  personal  reign  on  earth.  “I  am  sure 
that  the  earthly  Jerusalem  is  not  again  to  be  rebuilt  with 
a more  than  Solomonic  temple.  I am  no  millenarian.” 

Shortly  after  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Marsh,  the  mission 
voted  that  Dr.  Lobdell  have  permission  to  go  to 
Oroomiah  for  the  sake  of  recruiting  his  health,  and  at 
the  same  time  promoting  the  objects  of  the  mission.  lie 
felt  the  necessity  of  such  an  excursion,  and  cherished  also 
a strong  desire  to  traverse  more  or  less  of  the  field  of  Dr. 
Grant’s  heroic  labors,  and  to  see  the  beloved  missionary 
brethren,  with  whom  he  had  carried  on  so  delightful  a 
correspondence,  beyond  the  mountains.  Rumors  of  war 
delayed  for  a time  the  execution  of  the  plan.  On  the 
fifth  of  June,  he  writes : “ I am  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the 
jiost  on  Thursday,  to  see  whether  it  will  be  advisable  for 
me  to  take  a tour  into  the  Koordish  mountains.  If  there 
comes  a rumor  of  Avar,  I shall  not  dare  to  go,  as  the  Koords 
would,  doubtless,  in  that  case,  rise  against  the  Porte,  and 
make  sad  havoc  Avith  such  Christian  bones  as  mine. 
They  paid  4,500  piastres  for  robbing  Dr.  Bacon  and  son, 
and  Mr.  Marsh,  and  they  will,  no  doubt,  be  careful  next 
time  Iioav  their  victim  escapes  to  make  complaint  to  the 
government.”  The  post  arrived  on  Friday,  the  10th, 
bringing  intelligence  that  the  Russian  ambassador  had 


TOUR  TO  OROOMIAII. 


201 


left  Constantinople,  and  the  double-headed  eagle  over  his 
palace  had  been  taken  down  ; but  still  the  knowing  ones 
said  there  would  be  no  war.  And,  after  having  written 
letters  to  friends,  and  jiut  his  house,  papers,  &c.,  in  order, 
as  if  lie  might  never  return,  on  the  13th  he  set  out  on  his 
tour,  leaving  Mrs.  Lobdell,  who  could  endure  the  heat 
better  than  the  journey,  to  occupy  the  house,  with  one 
servant,  while  he  took  the  other  as  cook,  together  with 
the  requisite  number  of  muleteers  for  the  baggage.  He 
was  accompanied  by  Jeremiah,  whose  services  were  inval- 
uable, as  he  could  speak  Turkish  and  Koordish  fluently, 
as  well  as  Syriac  and  Arabic.  Some  parts  of  the  route 
which  he  selected,  had  never  before  been  passed  over  by 
an  American  or  European.  He  was  assured  by  persons 
competent  to  speak  on  such  a subject,  that  no  other  road 
to  Oroomiah  could  be  regarded  as  equally  safe.  Yet,  as 
will  be  seen  in  the  sequel,  this  was  beset  with  dangers. 
The  object  of  the  tour,  as  it  lay  in  the  mind  of  Dr.  Lob- 
dell, was  threefold,  — to  recruit  his  health,  to  preach 
Christ  crucified,  and  to  explore  the  mission  field.  Our 
account  of  it  will  be  derived  chiefly  from  a letter  to  the 
Missionary  Rooms,  and  will  be  given,  in  a great  measure, 
in  the  language  of  that  letter. 

The  first  day,  they  went  no  farther  than  the  bridge,  and 
finding  their  passports  not  ready,  returned,  and  spent  the 
night  at  home.  It  was  Ramadan,  the  Lent  of  the  Mo- 
hammedans, when  all  the  principal  Moslems  spend  the 
day  in  sleep,  and  feast  and  transact  business  only  by 
night.  This  was  the  occasion  of  the  delay  in  the  pass- 
ports. The  day  before  he  left,  Dr.  Lobdell  had  an  appli- 
cation from  the  pasha  and  his  son,  for  opiates,  to  enable 
them  to  endure  the  fasting,  and  the  fatigue  of  perfect 
idleness,  during  this  most  sacred,  yet  most  dreaded  month. 
“ I learned  to  labor”  says  the  Doctor,  “ in  America ; in 
Turkey  I am  fast  learning  to  wait .”  The  luggage  went 
on  to  Bartulli  on  the  evening  of  the  13th.  Early  in  the 


262 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


morning  of  the  14th,  Mr.  Marsh  and  Kos  Michael  accom- 
panied them  to  Bartulli,  where  they  had  parting  services 
in  an  old,  black  mud  house,  but  in  the  presence  of  a num- 
ber of  Jacobites.  “My  two  friends  soon  returned;  but, 
as  the  people  there  understand  Arabic  as  well  as  Fellahi, 
I had  great  pleasure  in  talking  for  three  hours  with  a 
large  company.  The-  Syrians  among  them  declined  all 
controversy,  but  admitted  that  my  view  of  Christianity  as 
a spiritual  religion,  for  which  no  number  of  formal  and 
heathen  ceremonies  can  be  substituted,  commended  itself 
to  their  hearts  and  consciences.  Mar  Mattai  and  the  wily 
Archbishop  of  Mosul,  though  at  swords’  points  on  all 
other  matters,  unite  in  trying  to  persuade  the  Jacobites 
of  Bartulli  to  avoid  all  connection  Avith  us ; and  yet  Ave 
have  frequent  calls  from  some  of  them,  and  from  Syrians 
of  Kara  Kosh,  a village  betAveen  Bartulli  and  Kimrood. 
Our  late  temporary  reverses  at  Tel  Keif  have  led  the  vil- 
lagers of  the  plain  generally  to  suppose  that  persecution 
Avill  be  an  inevitable  attendant  of  their  studying  the  Bible 
under  our  direction. 

“As  it  Avas  impossible  for  us  to  travel  during  the  heat 
of  the  day,  AArhich  in  the  shade  Avas  aboAm  100°,  and  in  the 
sun  about  140°,  Ave  did  not  start  from  Bartulli  until 
about  tAvo  hours  before  sunset.  Meamvhile,  I visited  both 
the  Papal  and  Jacobite  churches,  — a thing  not  alloAved 
us  in  Mosul.  The  Avails  of  both  these  buildings  Avere 
hung  Avitli  cotton  handkerchiefs  of  Mosul  manufacture 
bearing  the  portraits  of  numerous  saints ; and  those  of 
the  neAV  Syrian  edifice,  Avhose  basalt  pillars  at  the  narrow 
door  Avere  brought  from  the  ruins  of  Khorsabad,  Avere,  of 
course,  ornamented,  in  addition,  Avith  tAvo-penny  pictures 
of  various  Italian  martyrs,  Avith  rude  daubs  of  the  sun- 
crowned  St.  George  killing  the  dragon,  Avith  Mary  and 
her  infant  Son,  and  a small  brazen  cross  AA7itli  a highly 
muscular  Saviour  upon  it. 

■“The  Jacobites  had  removed  all  the  pictures  from  their 


TREES.  AND  CHURCHES. 


203 


clmrch,  with  the  exception  of  a drawing,  by  the  pen,  of 
the  Saviour  crucified,  beneath  which  was  an  Ethiopic  in- 
scription. Estranghelic  and  more  modern  Syriac  char- 
acters were  numerous  on  the  gypsum  blocks  in  various 
parts  of  the  building.  The  tombs  of  priests  and  bishops 
buried  there  were  arranged  around  the  sides  of  the 
church,  and  its  main  floor  was  nearly  covered  with  stones 
indicating  the  burial-places  of  the  more  common  dead.” 

In  the  court  of  the  Jacobite  church  was  a rough  palm- 
tree,  hanging  with  green  dates,  and  in  that  of  the  Syrian 
church  a fine  olive-tree.  “ The  extreme  scarcity  of  trees 
in  the  Tigris  valley  renders  them  of  great  value.  I doubt 
not,  many  persons  have  lived  out  their  threescore  and  ten 
years  without  ever  having  seen  a tree. 

“ The  books  used  in  the  Jacobite  church,  the  Liturgy, 
including  forms  for  the  burial  of  the  dead,  the  Psalms, 
selections  from  the  epistles  and  works  of  Mar  Gregorius, 
Mar  Toma,  and  several  other  saints,  are,  for  the  most 
part,  in  use  also  among  papal  seceders.  But  very  few 
genuine  Roman  Catholic  books  have  as  yet  been  intro- 
duced into  the  Syrian  church  ; none,  in  fact,  which  show 
up  the  worst  features  of  the  papacy,  — on  the  principle,  I 
suppose,  that  milk  is  better  for  babes  than  strong  meat. 

“ The  ruins  in  the  suburbs  of  Bartulli  are  quite  exten- 
sive. Grievous  taxation  has  scattered  the  inhabitants. 
Indeed,  the  Turkish  system  of  raising  revenue  is  utterly 
opposed  to  the  prosperity  of  the  people.  Often,  instead 
of  a tithe,  a half  of  the  annual  crops  is  wrenched  from 
the  poor  villagers. 

“ I was  interested  to  see  the  semi-domesticated  Arabs, 
whose  children  spoke  Fellahi  as  well  as  Arabic,  driving 
their  squads  of  donkeys,  with  their  muzzled  noses  fas- 
tened together,  round  a stake,  to  tread  out  the  wheat.  I 
was  even  more  interested  to  see  an  old  man  beating  out 
the  grain  with  a club,  as  he  sat  on  the  ground,  while  the 
unveiled  women  and  naked  children  threw  the  grain  and 


264 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL 


chaff  into  the  air,  and  sifted  it  for  their  mortars,  or  for  the 
mill-stones^  turned  by  female  hands. 

“ Having  sent  on  our  baggage,  J eremiah  and  myself 
galloped  to  Karamles,  the  mound  forming  the  southeast 
angle  of  the  trapezium,  noted  by  Layard  and  others  as 
marked  by  this  Tel , and  those  of  Khorsabad,  Koyunjik, 
and  Nimrood.*  The  course  from  Karamles  to  Nimrood 
is  precisely  south-southwest,  and  the  opposite  side  of  the 
inclined  parallelogram  is  about  parallel  with  it.  Kara 
Kosh  is  nearly  in  a line  between  these  two  southern 
mounds.  The  Jacobite  convent  of  Mar  Mattai  lay  to  the 
northeast,  nest-like,  among  the  rocks,  and  the  Yezidee  vil- 
lages of  Baazani  and  Baasheika  appeared  near  the  base  of 
Jebel  Makloub,  the  course  of  which  range  is  about  south- 
southeast.  Mart  Barbara,  the  name  of  a female  saint, 
is  given  to  the  church  that  stands  at  the  eastern  base  of 
the  mound.  The  village  of  Karamles  is  not  large,  but 
quite  respectable.  Like  all  the  towns  on  the  plain  at  that 
season,  it  was  surrounded  by  large  heaps  of  wheat  and 
barley,  ready  to  be  trodden  under  feet  of  oxen,  donkeys, 
or  mules,  or,  perhaps,  to  be  chopped  to  pieces  by  the  long 
knives,  fastened  perpendicularly  into  the  horizontal  roller, 
which  is  drawn,  with  one  or  two  passengers , circularly,  by 
horses,  blindfold,  over  the  grain. 

“We  started  up  a number  of  bounding  gazelles  as  we 
moved  swiftly  over  a vast  uncultivated  plain,  and  after 
two  hours,  we  came  to  the  Hazir,  or  ancient  Bumadus. 
According  to  agreement,  we  waited  for  our  baggage  until 
nearly  dark  on  the  banks,  which  were  covered  with 
wormwood  and  willows,  and  then  forded  the  stream,  (the 
water  coming  up  to  our  horses’  necks),  and  pushed  on 
rapidly  to  the  Zab.  Not  a soul  appeared,  besides  us, 
in  that  desert  space,  where  nomad  Arabs  often  vie  with 
the  Koords  in  skillful  attempts  at  robbery  and  murder. 
W e rode  up  to  the  house  of  Yassein  Agha,  whose  name  the 


* See  p 243. 


TIIE  ZAB. 


2G5 


village  bears,  and  greatly  astonished  the  crowd  upon  the 
roof  by  our  solitary  appearance.  They  wondered  even 
more  than  we,  that  no  band  of  marauders  had  fallen  upon 
us  in  crossing  the  plain.” 

There  they  passed  the  night,  sleepless,  through  dis- 
comforts and  fears,  “ the  broad  moon  revealing  distinctly 
about  them  girdles  full  of  pistols  and  daggers ; ” and 
while  detained  there,  partly  waiting  the  arrival  of  the 
baggage,  and  partly  by  the  excessive  heat,  till  the  next 
evening,  I)r.  Lobdell  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  Hus- 
sein Bey,  the  late  political  head  of  the  Yezidees,  and  his 
pleasant  host  on  his  pilgrimage  to  Sheikh  Adi,  make  his 
escape  safely  across  the  Zab,  from  a large  body  of  Koords 
and  Turkish  soldiers,  (who  had  been  sent  to  the  Sinjar 
hills  to  capture  him),  and  flee  to  a refuge  among  the  Tye 
Arabs,  a large,  unsubdued  tribe,  who  at  this  time  held 
possession  of  the  plain  between  the  Upper  and  the  Lower 
Zab.  The  Doctor  and  his  traveling  companion,  with 
their  baggage,  were  transported  across  the  river  on  a raft 
of  twenty  skins.  “Our  horses  were  made  to  swim  across 
by  Koords,  who  each  strided  an  inflated  skin,  and  pulled 
his  animal  after  him.  After  we  had  rode  an  hour  up  the 
left  bank  of  the  river,  among  the  bushes  of  wormwood, 
we  stopped  to  feed  our  animals,  and  sleep  a few  hours, 
near  a Yezidee  village,  on  every  house  of  which  were 
seated  three  or  four  storks.  An  old  castle,  built  by  Mo- 
hammed Pasha,  the  first  Turkish  governor  of  Mosul, 
stands  near  the  village,  on  the  bank  of  the  Zab,  which  is 
there  three  or  four  hundred  feet  high,  and  almost  perpen- 
dicular. The  Zab  is  the  Zabatus  of  Xenophon’s  Anabasis. 
Its  name  in  Turkish  is  Zarb , swift,  vehement,  wolfish. 

“We  were  sleeping  under  the  clear  sky,  the  moon  and 
stars  gazing  down  mildly  upon  us,  when,  at  eleven  o’clock, 
J eremiali  was  awakened  by  the  tramp  of  horses.  On  looking- 
up,  he  saw  seven  mounted  spearmen  within  a few  rods  of 
us.  Creeping  up  to  the  side  of  flip  pawass,  (Mr.  Rassam’s 
23 


266 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


cawass  accompanied  them,)  each  seized  a pistol  and  fired 
at  the  marauders.  They  instantly  scampered  away,  and 
we  loaded  our  animals  and  took  our  course,  not  without 
some  fears,  through  the  desert  in  a line  towards  Ain  Kawa, 
a Chaldean  village,  where  most  of  Jeremiah’s  relations 
reside.  We  stopped  a few  hours  before  sunrise,  near  a 
collection  of  black  tents,  from  sheer  fatigue  ; and  when  I 
awoke,  I found  a man  holding  an  umbrella  over  me  to 
shield  me  from  the  burning  beams  of  the  sun,  which  was 
nearly  two  hours  high.  An  Arab  politely  treated  us  to 
some  sheep’s  milk  and  lebn , and  soon  we  were  on  our  way 
again,  rambling  over  the  battle-field  of  Darius  and  Alex- 
ander, and  perhaps  crossing  the  track  of  the  retreating 
Xenophon,  when  Mithri  dates  was  driving  the  ten  thou- 
sand back  towards  their  father-land.  Jeremiah  trusting 
to  his  familiarity  with  the  path,  (there  are  no  roads  in 
Turkey  and  no  fences,)  made  a sad  mistake,  and  took  us 
about  two  hours  out  of  our  course.  The  heat  was  intense, 
but  after  various  evolutions,  we  at  length  got  to  the 
village  of  Ain  Kawa,  and  shaded  our  hot  heads  under  the 
coarse  roof  of  a respectable  mud  hovel. 

44  At  evening  we  rode  directly  south  about  three  miles 
to  Erweel , or,  as  the  Koords  say,  Arbeel  (Arbela,)  for  the 
double  purpose  of  seeing  that  ancient  and  celebrated  city, 
and  of  obtaining  a guard  to  accompany  us  to  a village  in  the 
mountains.  Arbeel  is  built,  for  the  most  part,  on  a very 
high  and  large  circular  mound,  resembling  Ivoyunjik,  and 
bears  marks  of  very  high  antiquity,  though  no  sculptures 
have  as  yet  been  found  in  it.  Indeed,  every  part  of  it  is 
closely  covered  with  houses,  and  excavations  are  impracti- 
cable. The  place  is  notorious  for  its  Moslem  bigotry.  Not 
a Christian  family  resides  there.  A few  Jews  are  found. 
But  nearly  all  the  people  arc  Koords,  of  whom  there  must 
be  from  ten  to  fifteen  thousand,  over  whom  a strict  guard 
has  to  be  kept  by  the  governor.” 

Having  obtained  of  the  governor  the  promise  of  a guard 


ABBE LA. 


267 


for  the  next  day,  and  also  of  a letter  to  the  Bey  of  Sheikh 
Laui,  a fine  village  one  day  within  the  mountains,  and 
having  admired  the  high,  octagonal  minaret  some  distance 
west  of  the  city  — one  of  the  finest  specimens  of  archi- 
tecture which  the  Doctor  had  seen  in  the  East  — they 
hurried  back  to  Ain  Kawa,  not  without  fears  that  they 
might  share  the  fate  of  a French  traveler  who  was  stripped 
to  the  • skin,  close  by  the  city,  and  the  outrage  was  not 
even  inquired  into,  till  a special  order  came  from  Constan- 
tinople. Arrived  at  the  mud  hut  again,  Dr.  Lobdell  sat 
down  and  wrote  to  his  old  classmate  and  friend  Seelye : 
“ When  we  were  sitting  together  in  the  recitation  room 
at  Amherst  and  expounding  to  the  Greek  professor  the 
geography  and  history  of  Arbela,  neither  you  nor  I thought 
I was  one  day  to  pen  a letter  on  that  very  spot.  But  so 
it  is.  Arbeel  lies  about  three  miles  south  of  the  mud  hut 
in  which  I am  writing,  and,  from  the  great  elevation  of  its 
castellated  mound,  is  distinctly  visible.  The  immense 
structure  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  objects  I have 
seen  in  the  East.  . . . How  much  I should  enjoy  your 
company.  But  I am  forced  to  enjoy  and  suffer  alone.  I 
crossed  the  Hazir  (Bumadus,)  and  Great  Zab  as  they  were 
crossed  three  thousand  years  ago  ; I rode  over  the  burning 
plain  of  Arbela  — the  very  battle-ground  of  the  Greek 
and  Persian,  and  meditated,  as  it  were,  alone;  for  Jere- 
miah knows  nothing  of  the  classics,  and  my  armed  cawass 
and  bronzed  muleteer  are  ignorant  of  all  that  gives  these 
mighty  fields  their  everlasting  interest.  They  live  in  the 
present,  I in  the  past.  While  they  eat  their  sour  milk,  push 
their  goads  into  the  mules,  dress  a chicken,  fry  eggs,  boil 
coffee,  and  prepare  my  traveling  bed,  I gaze  upon  the 
scene  of  past  battles  and  seem  to  see  again  the  hosts 
move  on  with  mighty  tread  to  the  conflict  and  the  rout. 
Here  where  'the  hero  and  conqueror  of  the  world  wrought 
his  most  glorious  work,  ( was  it  glorious  f)  — here  where 
Mithridates  chased  Xenophon — here  where  the  Saracens 


268 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


erected  the  lofty  minaret  of  Arbela  when  they  had  con- 
quered the  city  — here  where,  eighteen  years  ago,  Ali 
Pasha  threw  bombs  and  balls  into  the  brick-built  castle, 
while  Jeremiah  (at  my  side)  and  the  people  of  Ain  Kawa 
looked  on  with  astonishment  — here  where  the  horrid 
butcheries  of  the  Bey  of  Ravendooz  led  Turk  and  Persian 
to  unite  in  repressing  his  Koordish  barbarities — here  where 
there  is  a continual  strife  between  the  government  of  the 
Sultan  and  the  lawless  Koords,  who  are  nominally  subjects 
— here  where  the  watch-fires  of  the  Tye  Arab  and  the 
Bilboss  Koords  are  ever  blazing  in  defiance  of  the  Sublime 
Porte  — here  where  for  one  to  step  outside  a village  is  to 
risk  robbery  and  death — here,  en  route  through  the  wild 
mountains  of  Koordistan,  in  their  wildest  part,  is  your 
old  brother  meditating  on  the  changes  and  destinies  of 
nations  and  of  individuals — of  Persian,  Greek  and  Turkish 
empires,  and  of  you  and  me ! ” 

The  next  morning,  the  morning  of  the  17th  June,  other 
sights  and  other  thoughts  engaged  his  attention.  “ This 
morning  I visited  the  principal  church  in  Ain  Kawa,  its 
confessionals,  pictures,  and  tombs,  and  came  out  covered 
with  fleas.  These  creatures  actually  drive  the  worshipers 
at  this  season  out  of  doors ; and  services  are  held  in  the 
open  court.  The  door  to  the  church  was,  as  is  usual 
among  all  Christian  sects  near  the  mountains,  very  low, 
for  which  various  reasons  are  given.  One  is,  c that  strait 
is  the  gate,  and  narrow  the  way,  that  leads  to  life.’  Another 
is,  that  the  prophet  warns  a man  not  to  exalt  his  gate . A 
third  and  probable  one  is,  that  the  Moslems  may  not  take 
offence  at  their  want  of  humility,  who  would  very  likely 
drive  their  horses  and  cattle  into  the  church,  if  the  door 
was  of  sufficient  size.”  At  Ain  Kawa,  as  at  other  villages 
on  the  route,  there  was  an  ample  supply  of  priests,  there 
being  one  to  every  twelve  or  fifteen  families.  Children 
Avere  numerous,  and  parents  Avcre  anxious  the  missionaries 
should  establish  schools  for  them ; but  the  patriarch 


SIIEIKII  LAUA. 


269 


threatened  to  excommunicate  the  whole  village,  if  they 
had  any  thing  to  do  with  the  Americans,  although  he  pro- 
vides no  school  for  them  himself.  “ It  is  better  the  youth 
should  grow  up  brutes  than  heretics.” 

“ The  day  we  arrived,  about  thirty  called  on  us,  to  whom 
Jeremiah  preached  faithfully.  In  the  evening,  they  gath- 
ered on  the  roof,  where  I slept,  and  listened  to  a lecture 
till  midnight.  The  next  day,  they  were  more  afraid  of  us, 
though  my  medicines  drew  a considerable  number.  The 
priests  had  warned  them  against  us.” 

Accompanied  by  a horseman  as  guard,  and  footman  as 
guide,  he  left  Ain  Kawa  about  five  o’clock  in  the  afternoon, 
and  traveled  till  after  ten  in  the  evening,  when  he  came 
to  a castle  built  by  the  famous  Pasha  of  Ravendooz,  who 
so  long  resisted  the  Turks.  “ Once  more,”  he  says,  “I 
breathed  the  mountain  air,  and  felt  invigorated.”  Having 
slept  under  some  large  mulberry  trees,  near  a bubbling 
brook,  he  found  when  he  awoke,  that  a number  of  men 
and  women  had  assembled  to  bathe  and  pray  in  close 
proximity  to  his  pillow.  Proceeding  on  his  way  over  high 
hills  covered  with  shrub  oaks  and  thorns,  and  commanding 
a grand  ocean-like  view  of  the  Assyrian  plain,  he  arrived 
at  Sheikh  Laua  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  and  pitched  his 
tent  under  a sycamore  twenty  feet  in  circumference. 
“ Bayeez  Bey,  the  chief  of  the  place,  said  he  would  receive 
us,  not  because  of  the  bouyouroulder  of  the  Pasha  of 
Mosul,  or  the  letter  of  Ali  Bey,  but  because  of  my  med- 
icines. You  would  be  interested,  perhaps,  in  a detailed 
account  of  our  stay  among  these  wild  Koords,  who  had 
never  before  looked  on  the  face  of  a Frank.  One  wanted 
to  kill  me  simply  because  I was  a foreigner.  Several 
others  agreed  with  him ; and  one  man  with  a long  red 
beard  and  moustache,  freckled  face,  blood-shot  eye,  and 
fiendish  grin,  declared  he  would  butcher  me.  Jeremiah 
said,  all  that  saved  me,  was  the  medicine,  which  I distrib- 
uted gratis  to  about  fifty  patients.  Every  man  of  the 
23  * 


270 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


village  is  an  agha , or  chief ; each  has  his  portion  of  the 
fruits  of  the  valley  — apricots,  peaches,  apples,  plums, 
mulberries,  grapes,  almonds,  pears,  pomegranates,  and  figs. 
In  summer,  all  live  in  booths  of  shrub  oaks  under  the  thick 
shades.  Springs  are  abundant,  and  irrigation  is  easily 
effected.  I never  before  saw  so  rich  a spot.  The  Chris- 
tians of  the  plain  call  it  “the  Paradise  of  the  world;”  but 
it  is  “ Paradise  lost.”  How  sad  to  see  it  cursed  by  the 
occupation  of  the  lawless  Koords  ! They  wanted  to  treat 
us  as  their  servants,  boldly  declaring  that  they  were  much 
better  than  we.  They  even  said  on  Sunday,  “ This  hakeem 
will  give  us  medicine,  for  he  is  afraid  of  us.”  But  I 
refused  to  see  any  but  those  who  were  extremely  sick,  at 
the  risk  of  their  rage.  One  red-turbaned  man  wanted  me 
to  see  his  son.  I replied,  “ It  is  the  Sabbath.”  “ But,”  said 
he  to  my  interpreter,  “ if  he  is  a doctor,  he  must  see  him  ; 
if  not,  why  did  he  come  here.”  Another  said,  “perhaps 
he  is  a doctor,  perhaps  he  is  not ; perhaps  he  has  come  to 
spy  out  our  country  under  the  cover  of  physic.”  I at  length 
quieted  them  by  telling  them  that  Sunday  is  to  me  quite 
as  holy  a day  as  Friday  is  to  them.  I find  that  sincerity 
in  religious  observances  is  almost  universally  respected, 
however  erroneous  and  absurd  they  may  be. 

“ There  are  about  fifty  Chaldean  families  here,  who  are 
bought  and  sold  as  slaves.  Every  Koord,  young  or  old, 
in  the  village  has  a certain  number  of  these  Christians  at 
his  disposal.  He  can  take  fruit  from  their  trees,  milk  from 
their  goats,  sheep,  and  cows,  lebn , butter,  eggs,  &c.,  from 
their  houses,  money  from  their  pockets,  and  flog  them  at  his 
pleasure.  If  he  choose,  he  can  sell  the  right  thus  to  rob 
and  beat  them  to  another.  It  is  not  only  virtually,  but  in 
reality,  slavery  — white  Christian  slavery.  But  it  is  hardly 
a matter  of  wonder  that  Mohammedans  hold  slaves,  when 
members  of  Orthodox  Christian  churches  in  good  and 
regular  standing  do  the  same.  The  Koord  is  more  excusa- 
ble than  the  American. 


THE  KOORDS. 


271 


“ These  Chaldeans  were  afraid  to  come  near  us  while 
the  Koords  were  by,  for  fear  they  would  be  beaten  by 
them  after  wc  left,  if  not  before.  Indeed,  I saw  the  flog- 
ging process  myself.  The  Koord  called  his  slave  a dog. 
We  could  not  preach  to  them  at  my  tent,  and  so  Jeremiah 
went  to  one  of  their  houses.  One  of  the  priests  was  his 
cousin.  He  informed  us  that  the  Koords  were  talking 
about  killing  me,  not  doubting  that  I had  an  immense 
amount  of  money  with  me,  though  my  style  of  traveling 
was  very  simple.  4 His  skin  is  covered  with  gold,’  said 
one  of  them.  The  priest  advised  us  to  take  a strong  guard 
to  Ravendooz.  He  admitted  that  the  guard  might  be 
instructed  to  murder  us,  as  was  the  escort,  sent  by  a Koord- 
ish  chief  to  butcher  Schultz.  Times  have  changed  some- 
what since  then,  but  not  at  Sheikh  Laua.  This  is  a seclu- 
ded place ; few  foreign  influences  or  opinions  ever  enter 
there.  Each  night  that  I slept  there,  I felt  it  quite  uncer- 
tain whether  I should  awake  again.  But  God  kept  me 
from  their  bloody  hands.  I wrote  to  my  friends  in  Mosul 
by  a mason  from  that  place,  but  was  obliged  to  be  cau- 
tious how  I used  my  pen,  for  fear  of  exciting  the  jealousy 
of  the  Koords.  They  suspected  that  I was  reporting  their 
treatment  of  the  Christians  to  the  Turkish  government. 
The  pasha  of  Ravendooz  told  me  that  when  he  was  first 
appointed  to  that  district,  three  years  ago,  Jews  were 
bought  and  sold  by  the  Koords  as  commonly  as  donkeys. 
He  soon  stopped  the  trade. 

“ The  Christians  evidently  thought  me  their  friend,  for 
they  brought  me  apples,  plums,  apricots,  figs,  walnuts, 
almonds,  mulberries  and  eggs,  refusing  any  compensa- 
tion — a thing  which  a Koord  would  never  do.  They  use 
the  Fellalii,  but  all  understand  Koordish.  They  have  no 
school,  and  but  a small  part  of  the  Bible.  The  priest,  our 
friend,  had  never  heard  of  any  other  Ten  Commandments 
than  those  of  the  papal  church,  and  of  course  in  these 
were  found,  4 Remember  the  Sabbath  and  the  Feast-days? 


272 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


c Thou  shalt  not  make  unto  thee  any  graven  image  or  any 
likeness  — thou  shalt  not  bow  down  thyself  nor  serve 
them ; ’ this  commandment  he  had  never  seen  ! This  peo- 
ple did  not  dare  to  come  to  me  for  medicine,  except  in 
private.  They  were  afraid  of  the  blows  of  their  masters 
for  presuming  to  deserve  medicine  as  well  as  they.  The 
Mutsellim  of  Koy  sells  their  taxes  to  the  highest  bidder. 
And  while  I was  with  them,  a fiendish-looking  fellow,  who 
told  Jeremiah  I did  not  seem  to  realize  that  he  was  a great 
man,  was  endeavoring  to  collect  treble  the  sum,  he  was  to 
pay,  from  the  poor  Christians. 

“ The  religion  of  the  Koords  is  the  worst  form  of  Mo- 
hammedanism. They  deem  every  man  of  a different  faith 
their  enemy,  and  never  hesitate,  but  on  the  ground  of 
expediency,  to  bury  a dagger  in  the  bosom  of  a Yezidee, 
Jew,  or  Christian.  If  a man  is  a great  butcher,  he  is  pro- 
moted by  the  government.  There  is  a man  near  the  place 
where  I am  writing,  who  has  killed,  with  his  own  hand, 
more  than  twenty  men,  to  rob  them,  and  his  great  valor 
has  secured  him  a place  as  governor.” 

It  was  four  o’clock  on  the  afternoon  of  June  20th,  when 
Dr.  Lobdell  left  Sheikh  Laua.  Bayeez  Bey,  having  begged 
his  pocket  knife,  and  asked  in  vain  to  see  his  pistols, 
accompanied  him  a few  rods  and  then  bade  him  “ a grim 
adieu.”  Climbing  over  a precipitous  range  of  limestone 
and  gray  sandstone,  the  party  descended  into  the  large 
plain  of  Hareer.  At  the  end  of  a two  hours’  ride,  they 
came  to  a fortress ; but  the  chief,  to  whom  they  had  a 
letter  from  Bayeez  Bey,  refused  to  receive  them  or  to 
allow  them  to  pitch  their  tent  near  his  village  for  the  night, 
and  it  was  in  vain  they  begged  a cup  of  cold  water.  They 
succeeded,  however,  in  obtaining  a guide  to  a village  about 
ten  miles  distant,  the  chief  remarking  that  they  would 
there  find  one  of  their  friends , meaning  a Turkish  gov- 
ernor. “We  had  a sober  ride,  passing  half  a dozen  vil- 
lages between  sunset  and  dark,  and  not  knowing  what 


SOURCES  OF  TIIE  ZAB. 


273 


would  befall  us  by  the  way.  Our  guide,  a young  man, 
told  us  some  terrific  stories  by  the  way  about  the  bloody 
propensities  of  his  people,  and  warned  us  to  take  a strong 
guard  till  we  should  reach  Persia.  The  dagger-shaped 
tombstones  along  our  path,  and  the  red  flag  of  independ- 
ence flying  from  poles  over  the  graves  of  unconquered 
chieftains,  were  not  suited  to  repress  our  fears,  as  we  rode 
slowly  forward  in  a region  hitherto  untrodden  by  civilized 
man.  We  were  glad  to  lie  down  on  a roof  offered  to  us 
at  the  village  of  Hareer  by  our  Turkish  ‘friend,’  and  slept 
soundly  till  daybreak.  I blessed  God  for  even  Turkish 
protection  in  these  wilds  of  Ivoordistan.” 

The  next  day,  the  21st,  the  route  lay  at  first  over  a wild 
region,  covered  with  gall-nut  bearing  oaks,  and  amid  cas- 
tles and  plundering  bands,  (the  last  too  small,  however, 
to  venture  upon  an  assault,)  till  snow  was  seen  on  the 
surrounding  peaks,  and  a great  change  was  perceptible  in 
the  atmosphere.  “ The  rest  of  the  day  our  route  lay 
through  a wonderful  gorge  in  the  high,  sulphurous  lime- 
stone rocks,  between  which  rippled  one  of  the  streamlets 
at  the  source  of  the  greater  Zab.  Perpendicular  banks, 
from  a thousand  to  fifteen  hundred  feet  high,  with  cones, 
towers,  and  battlements,  gave  the  deepest  interest  to  our 
slow  and  difficult  ascent.  The  gorge  afforded  a fine  place 
for  the  study  of  geology ; and  the  route  for  many  miles 
reminded  me  of  the  cliffs  along  the  Tigris,  between  Has- 
san  Keif  and  Jezireh. 

“ The  Pasha  of  Ravendooz,  where  we  arrived  just  as  a 
cannon  was  booming  forth  the  hour  of  sunset,  received 
me,  after  reading  my  firman,  with  the  greatest  possible 
civility,  making  me  ride  his  splendid  horse,  clad  in  rich 
crimson  trappings,  while  a huge  torch  of  flaming  bitumen 
was  carried  before  me,  to  his  summer  house,  where  a 
squad  of  ten  soldiers  attended  me,  the  pasha  refusing  to 
allow  me  to  pitch  my  tent  near  the  steep  bank  of  the 
river,  opposite  the  terraced  town,  declaring  that  he  could 


274 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


not  insure  my  head  there  one  hour  after  dark,  and  saying, 
that  if  I was  killed,  he  should  lose  his  place  for  not  taking 
better  care  of  me.  His  Honor  breakfasted  with  me  the 
next  morning,  and  I dined  with  him  at  evening.  It 
appeared  afterwards,  that  all  his  attentions  grew  out  of  a 
desire  to  secure  my  surgical  services,  which  were  cheer- 
fully rendered  to  him  and  his  retinue  during  the  day. 
He  refused  to  allow  me  to  pay  the  ordinary  fee  of  forty 
piastres  for  a passport  for  each  man  in  my  company, 
declaring  that  he  would  himself  pay  it  into  the  public 
treasury.  Every  traveler,  in  passing  from  Turkey  into 
Persia,  is  obliged  to  procure  a sun  tezkereh ; to  go  from 
place  to  place  within  the  country,  a moon  passport  is  suffi- 
cient, and  very  much  cheaper.  We  were  obliged  to  have 
both  kinds  in  going  from  Mosul.” 

The  next  morning,  June  23d,  the  pasha  gave  them  an 
escort  to  the  castle  of  the  famous  Abd-el-Kadr  Bey  at 
Sedckan,  who  has  a Turkish  officer  of  equal  rank  by  his 
side  to  watch  his  Koordish  tendencies.  “ It  was  pleasant 
to  get  away  from  that  place.  About  half  a mile  from 
Sedekan,  I discovered  in  a valley  a basalt  pillar,  four  feet 
high,  fourteen  inches  thick,  and  twenty-eight  inches  wide, 
carved  with  small  cuneiform  characters,  but  very  much 
defaced  by  the  wear  of  the  last  two  thousand  years.  I 
suppose  no  Frank  ever  saw  it  before.*  The  pillar  was 
half  covered  up  by  bushes,  but  has  considerable  interest, 
inasmuch  as  it  gives  unmistakable  evidence  of  having 
been  erected  by  the  same  hero  that  set  up  the  famous 
jDillar  of  Kel-i-Sheen,  to  which  we  came  on  the  following 
day,  on  the  boundary  line  between  Turkey  and  Persia. 


* On  his  return  to  Mosul,  Dr.  L.  wrote  an  account  of  this  pillar  to  Col  Raw- 
linson,  at  Baghdad.  Col.R.  replied  that  he  had  described  it  from  reports  of 
the  natives  some  fifteen  years  ago,  in  an  article  on  Ecbatana,  together  with  the 
pillar  at  Kel-i-Sheen.  At  a still  later  date,  Oct.  24th,  we  find  this  entry  in  Dr. 
L.’s  journal : “ Since  I wrote  Col.  R.,  I find  in  Dr  Grant’s  journal  a few  words 
on  the  pillar  of  which  I thought  myself  the  first  Frank  discoverer.  So  true  it 
is,  ‘ there  is  nothing  new  under  the  sun.’  '5 


ATTACKED  BY  K00RDS. 


275 


“ Wc  rode  until  dusk  through  a rich  vale  covered  with 
patches  of  wheat,  barley,  and  rice,  while  the  banks  of  the 
irrigating  streams  were  lined  with  the  mulberry  and 
willow.  We  passed  ledges  of  slate,  porphyry,  gray  sand- 
stone, and  hard  limestone,  with  a few  boulders  of  quartz 
and  granite  to-day ; and  when  we  drew  up  to  a collection 
of  black  tents  near  Berbezeen,  we  felt  much  fatigued.  A 
cold  wind  whistled  over  the  snow-capped  summits,  be- 
neath which  we  slept  in  the  open  air,  (no  dew  falls,  even 
at  that  height),  before  a broad  fire,  around  which  sat  a score 
of  ghastly  and  savage  Ivoords. 

“24th.  Wrapping  my  cloak  around  me,  I was  ready  to 
start  at  five  A.  M.  We  wound  out,  ant-like,  along  the 
side  of  the  mountain,  while  far  below  us  dashed  a silvery 
stream,  and  far  above  us  hung  the  peaks  covered  with 
perpetual  snow  Our  guide  relieved  the  cold  and  tedium 
by  various  tales  of  Koordish  valor,  for  two  hours,  when  we 
came  suddenly  upon  twenty-two  Koordish  tents  pitched 
behind  some  rocks  near  our  path,  from  which,  as  we 
approached,  about  thirty  men,  the  most  of  them  with 
guns,  and  the  rest  bearing  heavy-headed  crooks,  came  out 
upon  us,  grinning  horridly,  like  hyenas  about  to  seize 
their  prey.  Every  man  with  a gun  had  his  hand  on  the 
lock,  and  seemed  just  ready  to  pull  the  trigger.  Jeremiah 
and  myself  drew  our  horses  side  by  side,  and  faced  them, 
— Jeremiah’s  face  as  white  as  the  surrounding  patches  of 
snow,  and  myself  laughing  from  terror!  Our  cawass 
stood  motionless,  his  hands  on  his  holsters,  and  all  of  us 
expected  a battle.  The  horseman  furnished  us  by  the  pasha 
of  Ravendooz  stood  still  a moment,  but  seeing  our  critical 
position,  and  his  own,  he  spurred  his  horse  towards  them, 
and  asked  them  what  they  had  come  out  in  that  way  for. 
“To  take  your  souls,  you  sons  of  dogs,”  was  the  instant 
reply,  as  translated  by  Jeremiah.  The  guard  then  told 
them  with  what  honor  his  master  had  received  us,  and 
that  if  they  touched  a hair  of  our  heads,  Mohammed 


276 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


Ragoub  Pasha  would  annihilate  their  whole  tribe ! His 
earnestness  seemed  to  terrify  them,  and  as  they  paused, 
(with  what  visages!)  we  put  spurs  to  our  horses,  and 
were  soon  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  ledge. 

After  an  hour’s  hard  ride,  we  came  to  the  azure  pillar  of 
Kel-i- Sheen  on  the  top  of  the  range,  as  we  crossed  into 
Persia.  Here  we  halted  about  two  hours  expecting  our  bag- 
gage, which  was  behind  us  at  the  time  of  our  encounterwith 
the  Koords  ; and  then,  not  doubting  that  the  muleteers  had 
been  robbed,  if  not  killed,  as  it  would  have  been  folly  for 
us  to  turn  back,  we  started  rapidly  for  Ooshnoo.  I em- 
braced the  opportunity  to  copy  a dozen  specimens  of  the 
arrow-headed  characters  on  the  time-worn  pillar  to  deter- 
mine to  what  class  they  belong,  as  this  alone,  it  would 
seem,  will  settle  the  question  of  their  age.  The  stone  is  a 
very  interesting  one,  and  the  inscription  has  lately  been 
copied  by  a Russian  gentleman  and  by  Col.  Williams.  It 
is  quite  imperfect,  though  the  block  is  of  the  hardest  kind, 
and  was  originally  polished  like  glass.”* 

That  night  was  spent  at  Ooshnoo  under  the  hospitable 
roof  of  the  governor,  Latif  Khan.  Having  recovered 
their  baggage  through  his  intervention,  the  next  morning, 
June  24th,  the  eleventh  morning  from  that  on  which  they 
had  set  out  from  Mosul,  they  started  early  for  Oroomiah, 
and  having  rode  nearly  forty  miles,  the  most  of  the  way 
over  the  loveliest  plain  on  which  his  eye  ever  rested,  Dr. 
Lobdell  was  welcomed  to  the  homes  and  the  hearts  of 
his  missionary  brethren. 

He  had  seen  the  faces  of  but  few  of  them ; but  they 
were  all  acquaintances,  friends,  brethren  beloved.  He  had 
corresponded  with  nearly  all  of  them  by  letter.  He  had 
seen  and  loved  Mr.  Stoddard  in  America.  Mr.  Crane  was 

* An  account  of  this  journey  from  Mo3ul  to  Kel-i-Sheen  was  sent  by  Dr.  Lob- 
dell to  the  American  Oriental  Society,  and  only  accidental  circumstances  have 
prevented  its  appearing  in  the  journal  of  the  Society.  The  Corresponding  Sec- 
retary, Prof.  Whitney,  says:  “It  is  an  interesting  and  valuable  document,  and 
ought  not  to  be  withheld  from  the  public.” 


SICKNESS  AT  OROOMIAH. 


277 


with  him  in  the  Theological  Seminary,  in  Auburn.  J)r. 
Perkins  and  Mr.  Cochrane  were  sons  of  the  same  Alma 
Mater  with  himself.  Dr.  Wright  was  his  brother  in  med- 
ical practice,  as  well  as  in  the  missionary  work.  Miss  Harris 
he  had  met  at  Malta  on  his  way  out.  Misses  Fisk  and 
Rice  were  graduates  of  Mt.  Holyoke  Seminary,  of  which 
Mrs.  Lobdell  also  had  been  a member.  They  were  all 
children  of  the  same  heavenly  F ather,  all  called  by  the  name 
of  the  same  Lord  and  Master,  all  engaged  in  the  same  self- 
denying  yet  halloAved  work.  And  it  needed  not  the  con- 
trast of  the  intolerable  heat  of  Mosul,  or  the  bloody 
Koords  of  the  mountains,  to  make  Oroomiah  seem  a para- 
dise, and  the  little  circle  of  missionary  brethren  and  sisters 
there  less  like  earth  than  heaven. 

But  like  all  our  earthly  paradises,  this  was  not  to  be 
without  its  affliction.  Scarcely  had  he  reached  Mt.  Seir, 
the  health  station,  and  the  seat  of  the  Male  Seminary,  when 
he  was  taken  sick  and  confined  to  his  bed  for  two  weeks. 
Of  this  sickness,  we  have  some  account  from  the  pen  of 
Dr.  Perkins,  in  whose  family  he  found  the  nursing  and 
watching,  and  what  was  of  even  greater  value  to  him,  the 
sympathy  and  affection  of  friends  indeed.  “ He  came  to 
us,”  says  Dr.  P.,  “ in  a feeble  state,  for  the  benefit  of  his 
health.  Yet  he  was  all  buoyant  as  a lark  — being  almost 
overjoyed  to  find  himself  in  our  happy  circle  at  Oroomiah, 
after  his  arduous  and  perilous  journey  across  the  Koordish 
mountains. 

“ Two  days  after  his  arrival  he  was  seized  of  a fever, 
which  proved  severe  and  obstinate.  During  his  sickness 
he  seemed  to  us  remarkably  patient,  cheerful,  hopeful,  and 
resigned  to  the  will  of  God.  It  was  a precious  privilege 
to  watch  by  his  bedside.  He  looked  up  to  Mrs.  Perkins 
and  myself  though  previously  strangers  to  him,  as  a 
docile,  grateful  child.  Our  hearts  were  at  that  time  bleed- 
ing with  the  fresh  wounds  caused  by  the  then  recent 
death  of  our  dear  Judith;  and  even  in  his  sickness,  he 
24 


278 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


contributed  greatly  to  soothe  those  wounds.  Indeed,  the 
only  difficulty  I recollect  to  have  found  in  taking  care  of 
him,  was  to  prevent  his  over-taxing  his  strength,  in  trying 
to  talk  too  much,  to  comfort  us  in  our  sad  bereavement. 

“He  greatly  enjoyed  listening  to  our  prayers  at  his  bed- 
side. And  when  he  became  able  himself  to  lead  in  prayer, 
we,  in  turn,  were  no  less  gratefully  affected,  while  borne 
upward  by  his  fervent  strains,  as  on  eagle’s  wings,  to  the 
very  portals  of  heaven.  He  was  a man  who  evidently 
enjoyed  daily  and  intimate  communion  with  a personal 
Saviour. 

“ When  our  friend  became  convalescent,  he  one  day  rode 
out  with  Mrs.  Perkins  and  myself,  in  the  easy  carriage, 
presented  to  Mr.  Stoddard  for  the  use  of  the  ladies  and 
invalids  of  our  mission,  by  kind  ladies  in  New  Haven. 
Nothing  could  exceed  his  exhilaration  and  his  artless 
expressions  of  it  during  that  ride.  4 Oh  that  my  dear  wife 
and  other  friends  in  Mosul  could  enjoy  this  ride  with  me!’ 
was  his  reiterated  exclamation,  as  we  wound  our  way 
down  and  up  the  gentle  declivities  of  Mt.  Seir.  And  as 
he  inhaled  the  cool,  invigorating  breezes  of  our  health 
retreat,  he  would  often  say,  c Every  breath  is  worth  a shil- 
ling to  one  coming  from  the  heats  of  Mosul.’ 

“ It  was  in  brief  moments  snatched  from  his  sick  bed, 
that  I penned  my  hasty  sermon  entitled,  ‘ Our  Country’s 
Sin,’  — so  much  sj)oken  against  in  some  quarters  and  so 
warmly  commended  in  others.  His  generous  heart  flowed 
out  so  freely  for  c the  bound  as  bound  with  them  ’ in  our 
dear  native  land,  which  was  then  fresh  in  his  recollections, 
that  it  touched  a sympathatic  chord  in  my  own  bosom, 
and  prompted  me  to  jot  down  that  discourse  for  the  fol- 
lowing Sabbath,  which  was  the  day  preceding  our  national 
birthday ; and  I preached  it  even  on  a communion  Sab- 
bath, as  it  so  happened ; for  we  do  not  hold  that  our  dying 
and  risen  Saviour,  like  the  gods  of  the  Brahmins,  brooks 
wickedness  under  the  name  of  religion.  With  no  thought 


ouit  country’s  sin. 


279 


of  its  publication  when  prepared,  I yielded  to  his  earnestly 
expressed  desire  that  I should  send  it  to  America,  when 
he  at  length  listened  to  it  after  his  recovery.  Humble  as 
was  that  effort  for  the  suffering  slave  and  our  suffering 
country,  I have  never  regretted  yielding  to  his  advice  in 
the  matter.” 

It  was  during  this  visit  of  Dr.  Lobdell  to  Oroomiah  that 
the  missionary  circular  on  slavery  was  prepared,  which, 
after  much  consultation  and  revision,  was  sent  to  the  other 
missions  of  the  American  Board,  to  be  then  published  in 
America  as  the  united  protest  of  the  signers  against  what 
they  unanimously  considered  to  be  indeed  our  country’s 
great  sin,  the  one  blot  on  her  fair  fame,  and  the  grand 
obstacle  to  her  republican  and  Christian  influence.  And 
though  Dr.  Lobdell  did  not  write  it,  his  influence  in  origi- 
nating it  and  his  zeal  and  activity  in  its  circulation,  were 
not  less  powerfully  instrumental  to  the  existence  of  the 
circular,  than  they  were  to  the  writing  and  publishing  of 
the  sermon. 

Oroomiah  is  the  advance  port  of  American  missions, 
pushed  into  the  very  heart  of  Central  Asia.  The  Nes- 
torian  mission  is  a watch-fire  set  upon  the  eastern  slope 
of  those  Asiatic  highlands,  where  the  human  race  was  first 
planted,  from  which  other  such  fires  are  destined  to  be 
kindled,  till,  from  mountain  top  to  mountain  top,  the  glad 
tidings  of  Emanuel’s  kingdom  shall  have  been  borne  to 
the  borders  of  China,  and  shall  there  meet  the  same  good 
news  coming  up  from  the  shores  of  the  Pacific.  Estab- 
lished among  a people  remarkable  for  their  truly  primitive 
simplicity  and  docility,  and  engrafted  on  the  only  remain- 
ing branch  of  a church  whose  boughs  once  covered  the 
continent  and  which  then  counted  its  missionaries  and 
martyrs  by  thousands,  it  has  been  conducted  on  a plan 
and  a principle,  which  differs  from  any  other  mission  of 
the  American  Board,  and  which,  therefore,  has  occasioned 
no  small  diversity  of  opinion  among  the  friends  of  missions 


280 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


at  home,  scarcely  less  among  missionaries  abroad,  and  not 
a little  even  among  its  own  members.  No  separate  Prot- 
estant community  has  been  formed,  no  distinct  church  has 
been  organized,  though  the  missionaries  have  a communion 
by  themselves,  to  which  they  invite  only  those,  whom  they 
regard  as  truly  regenerated,  not  by  water  only,  but  by  the 
Spirit  of  God.  Dr.  Lobdell  could  not  but  be  deeply  inter- 
ested in  visiting  such  a mission,  and  investigating  its  history 
and  present  state.  He  studied  this  problem  on  the  spot 
with  intense  interest,  and  brought  to  bear  upon  it  all  his 
powers  of  observation  and  reflection.  He  heard  from  the 
lips  of  his  brethren,  and  especially  from  that  brother  who 
was  the  pioneer,  and  whose  life,  more  than  any  other,  is 
the  history  of  the  mission,  the  remarkable  providences  by 
which  they  were  led,  and  the  wonderful  blessings  by  which 
their  labors  were  crowned  — the  circumstances  by  which 
they  were  almost  precluded  from  the  possibility  of  a sep- 
arate organization,  and  the  influences  of  the  Spirit,  by 
which  they  were  encouraged,  from  time  to  time,  and 
almost  commanded  to  continue  their  labors  icithin  the 
Nestorian  church,  for  the  purification  of  its  members.  He 
saw  all  the  Nestorian  churches  of  the  plain  and  the  hill- 
sides thrown  wide  open  to  the  preaching  of  the  mission- 
aries, and  converted  priests  and  bishops  not  only  sanc- 
tioning their  discourses  by  their  presence,  but  enforcing 
the  truth  with  heart-felt  and  eloquent  exhortations.  He 
saw  not  only  the  Male  Seminary  at  Seir  and  the  Female 
Seminary  at  Oroomiah,  under  the  direct  instruction  of  the 
missionaries,  but  scores  of  common  schools  in  the  city  and 
villages  placed  under  their  siq3ervision.  Last,  not  least, 
he  heard  the  history  of  those  wonderful  revivals  of 
religion  — so  like  those  in  our  own  churches  and  colleges, 
and  without  a parallel  in  other  missions,  except  the  mis- 
sions among  the  Armenians  and  in  the  Sandwich  Islands 
— which  have  so  often  visited  the  schools,  seminaries,  and 
churches  of  the  Nestorians,  which  seem  to  have  set  the 


THE  NESTORIAN  MISSION. 


281 


seal  of  God’s  own  approval  on  the  plans  and  labors  of  his 
servants,  and  as  the  fruit  of  which  so  many  Nestorians  not 
only  lead  holy  lives,  but  so  many  have  already  died  in  the 
triumphs  of  faith.*  He  gathered  up  these  facts  and  long 
revolved  them  in  his  mind.  lie  continued  to  meditate  on 
them  till  after  he  returned  to  Mosul;  and  though  his 
preconceived  opinions  had  been  somewhat  adverse  to  the 
plan  of  the  Nestorian  mission,  and,  though  in  common 
with  his  brethren  at  Mosul,  he  had  been  led  and  con- 
strained to  adopt  other  views  and  other  methods  in  con- 
ducting their  own  mission,  he  then  sat  down  and  wrote 
to  the  Secretaries  his  deliberate  approval  of  the  main 
policy  of  his  brethren  across  the  mountains,  as  justified  by 
their  peculiar  circumstances  and  ratified  by  the  blessing 
of  Heaven.  He  fully  believed,  that  a time  of  conflict 
would  come  in  the  Nestorian  church,  and  that  sooner  or 
later  great  changes  would  take  place  in  its  organization. 
He  specified  some  few  things,  in  which,  he  thought,  more 
decided  measures  might  at  once  be  taken.  But  it  was  his 
opinion  — it  was  his  advice  and  counsel,  that  the  mission- 
aries on  the  ground  should  be  left  to  follow  the  leadings 
of  Providence  till  the  crisis  shall  come,  and  then  to  act  as 
they  shall  deem  wise  and  right  in  the  circumstances. 

Dr.  Lobdell  has  left  behind  him  a little  manuscript 
volume  of  “ Life  in  and  around  Oroomiah  ” — his  observa- 
tions of  the  country  and  the  people,  as  well  as  the  mission, 
his  visits  to  the  Sunday  schools  and  day  schools  as  well  as 
the  churches,  his  delightful  intercourse  with  the  native 
Christians  as  well  as  his  sweet  communion  with  the  mis- 
sionaries and  their  families.  But  this  is  becoming  one  of 
the  best  known  of  all  our  missions ; and  we  can  not  dwell 
upon  these  scenes,  interesting  as  they  are  in  themselves, 
instructive  to  the  missionary,  and  highly  illustrative  of  the 


* Witness  the  little  book  of  Nestorian  Biography,  lately  published  by  the  Mass. 
S.  S.  Society. 


24* 


282 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


writer’s  ceaseless  activity  and  lively  sympathy,  as  well  as 
of  the  success  of  the  mission. 

By  the  advice  of  his  missionary  brethren,  shortly  before 
leaving  Persia,  he  took  an  excursion  to  Tabreez,  partly 
for  the  more  complete  restoration  of  his  health,  and  partly 
for  the  further  exploration  of  an  interesting  province  of 
the  Persian  empire.  In  the  absence  of  the  copious  jour- 
nals which  Dr.  Lobdell  usually  took  of  his  travels,*  we  are 
happy  to  avail  ourselves  of  a narrative  of  the  tour  fur- 
nished by  his  companion  in  travel,  Rev.  Mr.  Cochrane  of  the 
Nestorian  mission.  After  some  general  remarks  upon  the 
character  of  Dr.  Lobdell,  especially  upon  the  rare  combi- 
nation of  modesty  with  decision,  and  of  progressive  ideas 
with  scholarly  attainments,  which  he  found  in  his  com- 
panion, Mr.  Cochrane  proceeds  : “ It  was  my  privilege  to 
accompany  him  on  an  excursion  of  nearly  three  weeks  in 
the  Province  of  Azerbijan.  Starting  from  Gavalan,  where 
several  of  our  families  were  spending  a few  days,  enjoying 
its  fine  lake  breezes  and  salt-water  baths,  a few  hours’  ride 
by  post  around  the  surpassingly  beautiful  shore  of  the 
lake  (Oroomiah)  brought  us  to  Tabreez,  the  commercial 
metropolis  of  the  kingdom.  A slight  deviation  from  our 
route,  through  Salmas,  enabled  our  brother  to  visit  the 
sculptured  rocks  near  the  boundary,  commemorating,  as 
is  supposed,  some  ancient  conquest  of  Persia  over  her 
subtile  and  often  formidable  enemy,  the  Koord.  At 
Tabreez,  we  were  hospitably  entertained  by  that  intelli- 
gent and  efficient  friend  of  missions,  the  English  consul, 
R.  II.  Stevens,  Esq.,  of  whose  familiar  acquaintance  with 
Persian  politics  and  manners  our  brother  availed  himself 
in  soliciting  information  with  characteristic  eagerness. 
By  the  politeness  of  the  consul,  we  were  also  introduced 

* The  Doctor  took  copious  notes  of  this  tour,  and  was  so  interested  in  it  that 
he  intended  to  prepare  an  article  on  it  for  the  Bibliotheca  Sacra.  But  incessant 
occupation  and  poor  health  prevented  the  early  accomplishment  of  his  purpose, 
and  ere  long  death  put  an  end  to  this,  with  other  plans  of  literary  labor.  Even 
the  notes  have  not  come  into  the  hands  of  the  writer  of  these  memoirs. 


VISIT  TO  TABREEZ. 


283 


to  the  prince  governor  of  Azerhijan,  and  a few  of  the 
distinguished  citizens,  and  were  shown  some  of  the  gar- 
dens and  public  edifices,  and  other  objects  of  interest, 
ancient  and  modern.  The  Doctor  considered  himself 
most  fortunate,  also,  in  making  the  acquaintance  of  the 
late  Russian  consul  at  Tabreez,  Chevalier  Ivhanikoff,  a gen- 
tleman of  eminent  literary  and  scientific  attainments,  who 
happened  to  pass  through  the  city  on  a scientific  explora- 
tion of  the  province,  under  the  patronage  of  the  Czar. 

“From  Tabreez,  we  made  an  excursion  of  four  or  five 
hours  to  a beautiful  valley,  walled  in  by  the  snow-capped 
mountains  of  Lahend,  where  the  consul  had  a suite  of 
tents  pitched  for  a family  summer  retreat.  It  was  a 
charming  spot,  enclosing  within  a single  landscape  all  the 
varieties  of  the  four  seasons.  A considerable  stream, 
issuing  from  the  adjoining  heights,  flowed  rapidly  past  the 
encampment,  on  its  eastward  course  to  the  Caspian.  To 
us  it  appeared  particularly  American,  as  it  was  filled  with 
nice  trout,  the  first  we  had  seen  in  the  East.  They  were 
caught  in  abundance  by  the  natives  with  baskets. 

“ From  the  mountain  heights,  we  descended  over  the 
grassy  plateaus  and  down  the  rapidly  descending  slopes 
to  the  plain  of  Mar  Agha,  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  lake 
opposite  Oroomiah.  Though  westward  from  the  boun- 
dary of  Ivoordistan,  we  passed  the  tents  of  several  wild 
and  predatory  Koordish  tribes,  who,  doubtless  with  many 
regrets,  were  restrained  from  indulging  their  national  pro- 
pensity, through  fear  of  the  popular  and  influential  consul 
under  whose  protection  we  were  traversing  these  wild 
and  unfrequented  regions.  The  Doctor  was  allured  to 
this  out-of-the-way  district  by  the  prospect  of  finding  in 
the  monumental  inscriptions,  which  occur  at  Mar  Agha, 
something  of  historical  or  antiquarian  interest 

“From  that  pleasant  plain,  abounding  in  vineyards, 
orchards,  and  cultivated  trees,  giving  it  almost  a forest-like 
appearance,  our  return  route  brought  us  to  Shishawan,  a 


284 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


beautiful  village  on  the  lake  shore,  where  we  were  the 
guests,  by  previous  invitation,  in  a,  magnificent  palace  of 
Malek  Kassim  Mirza,  uncle  of  the  late  Mohammed  Shah, 
and  one  of  the  most  intelligent  and  scientific  Persians 
living.  In  prescribing  for  the  prince’s  harem,  the  doctor 
was  shown  his  dispensary,  which,  to  his  surprise,  he  found 
filled  with  almost  every  article  of  modern  medical  prac- 
tice, not  excepting  Ayer’s  Cherry  Pectoral. 

“ The  remainder  of  our  trip  opened  a new  chapter  in  our 
experience,  the  events  of  which,  judging  from  our  broth- 
er’s frequent  allusions  to  them,  exerted  a most  salutary 
influence  preparatory  to  the  great  change  that  awaited 
him.  c That  was  a good  ride  for  my  soul,’  was  his  char- 
acteristic reflection  in  allusion  to  it. 

“We  embarked  in  a neatly  fitted  up  private  sail  of 
the  prince,  having  a cabin  quite  sumptuously  furnished, 
for  Persia,  in  which  we  proposed  to  cross  to  the  Oroomiah 
shore,  a distance  of  about  thirty  miles.  But  from  the 
ark-like  structure  of  the  boat,  and  the  want  of  experience 
in  the  sailors,  the  third  day  found  us  becalmed  and  at 
anchor  on  a small  uninhabited  and  uninhabitable  island 
about  mid-way  between  the  shores.  This  was  annoying, 
both  on  account  of  the  loss  of  time  and  the  prospect  of 
a failure  in  our  scanty  store  of  provisions.  In  the  uncer- 
tainty of  soon  leaving,  a resort  to  a boat  with  oars  readily 
occurred  to  us  as  an  expedient,  the  safety  of  which  we 
hardly  doubted,  at  that  quiet  season,  especially  as  one  of 
our  missionary  number  had  previously  navigated  the 
entire  lake  in  such  a boat. 

“ With  two  oarsmen  besides  our  own  servants,  we  were 
soon  plying  the  nimble  oars  in  hopes  of  speedily  reaching 
the  land,  one  of  us  acting  as  helmsman,  and  the  other 
working  the  small  sail,  which  we  were  enabled  to  raise 
before  a gentle  breeze.  After  an  hour’s  sail  or  more,  our 
slender  mast  snapped  before  the  increasing  wind,  and  we 
put  ashore  on  a small  island  for  repairs.  After  detention 


GALE  ON  THE  LAKE. 


285 


till  near  sunset,  avc  again  hoisted  sail  before  a quite  full 
breeze  ; but  a sudden  shift  gave  us  a strong  head  wind, 
which  diverted  our  course  and  lashed  the  smooth  surface 
into  a most  spiteful  dashing  sea.  Neither  sail  nor  oar 
longer  availed  us ; and  we  were  sent  adrift  before  a violent 
gale.  Nearly  every  sea  broke  over  the  boat;  and  we 
were  compelled  to  resort  to  bailing  to  avoid  being  instantly 
submerged.  For  three  long  hours  we  remained  with 
boots  drawn  off  and  divested  of  all  cumbersome  clothing, 
and  without  oar  or  other  buoy  within  reach,  expecting 
momentarily  to  be  cast  into  the  briny,  pitchy  waters.  It 
was  a time  of  solicitude  and  prayer,  not  unlike,  as  we 
fancied,  that  which  the  disciples  experienced  on  the  simi- 
lar lake  of  Galilee ; and  the  tardy  appearance  of  a light 
as  we  approached  the  southern  shore,  was  probably  hailed 
by  us  with  scarcely  less  joy  and  thanksgiving,  than  was 
the  appearance  of  our  Lord,  walking  on  the  sea,  by  his 
frightened  disciples.  The  chance  of  escape  seemed  to  our 
brother  wholly  lost.  But  grace  enabled  him  to  await  the 
result  without  solicitude  or  perturbation.  He  seemed 
unusually  cheerful,  almost  gleeful,  unaccountable  as  such 
a state  might  appear.  He  doubtless  knew  well  in  whom 
he  trusted,  and  his  hope  was  anchored  within  the  vail, 
beyond  the  reach  of  winds  and  waves. 

“ The  marshy  soil  where  we  came  to  land,  forbade  our 
going  ashore,  and  we  were  obliged  to  spend  the  night  in 
our  half-filled  boat,  our  clothing  drenched  with  the  filthy 
waters  that  washed  the  pitchy  shore.  The  morning’s  light 
showed  our  locality  to  be  some  twenty  miles  south  of  the 
intended-landing  place,  and  some  five  or  six  miles  distant 
from  any  village.  Dr.  Lobdell  took  full  notes  of  this 
journey,  designing  them,  as  I suppose,  for  future  use  ; but 
he  probably  never  found  time  to  write  them  out,  and  they 
could  hardly  be  intelligible  to  another  person.” 

The  time  had  now  come  when  Dr.  Lobdell  was  to  take 
reluctant  leave  of  the  brethren  and  sisters,  from  whom  he 


286 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


had  received  so  much  kindness,  and  set  out  on  his  return 
over  the  mountains. 

“On  the  last  day  of  August,  at  a meeting  of  all  the 
members  of  the  mission,  Dr.  Wright  commended  those  who 
were  about  to  leave  them  for  Gawar  and  Mosul,  to  the 
care  of  our  covenant-keeping  God ; and  I bade  a solemn 
adieu  to  the  friends  who  had  shown  me  so  much  kindness 
in  sickness  and  health,  while  I was  among  them.  Most 
of  the  gentlemen  accompanied  us  some  distance  out  of 
the  city,  and  we  parted,  not  doubting  that  we  shall  meet 
again  in  God’s  good  time,  where  partings  never  pain.” 

On  the  third  day,  they  reached  the  home  of  their  Gawar 
brethren  among  the  mountain  Nestorians.  “And  such  a 
home!”  Unpleasantly  situated,  as  well  as  small  and 
wretchedly  built,  they  were  forbidden  to  rebuild  it  by  the 
same  political  and  religious  jealousies  which  frowned  upon 
and  finally  destroyed  Dr.  Grant’s  “ castle  ” among  the 
mountains. 

While  Dr.  Lobdell  tarried  a few  days  at  Gawar,  Deacon 
Tamo  obtained  his  full  release  from  his  long  and  unjust 
imprisonment,  the  causes  of  which  are  so  well  known  to 
readers  of  the  “Herald.”  “Deacon  Tamo  is  free!  And 
could  you  have  seen  the  joy  of  all  his  fellow-villagers,  as 
he  came  home  from  his  prison-house,  and  the  kind  saluta- 
tions even  of  the  Koords  of  the  mountains — could  you  have 
witnessed  the  meek  bearing  of  the  man  himself,  and  heard 
the  eloquence  with  which  the  next  day  he  spoke  to  his 
attentive  audience  of  salvation  by  the  Redeemer’s  blood, 
I think,  you  would  have  felt,  that  the  truth  is  speedily  to 
triumph  even  in  those  regions,  where  now  are  wandering, 
among  the  ignorant  and  superstitious  Nestorians,  men  of 
villainy  and  blood.” 

Messrs.  Rhea  and  Coan,  of  the  Nestorian  Mission,  ac- 
companied the  Doctor  on  his  return  to  Mosul.  They  set 
out  from  Gawar  on  the  13th  of  September.  The  first 
night  they  spent  without  sleep  at  Ishtahzin,  at  the  foot 


THE  KOORDISII  MOUNTAINS. 


287 


of  a frightful  staircase,  down  which  the  mules,  loaded  with 
their  bedding,  had  rolled  into  the.  river.  The  next  day, 
they  wound  among  the  gorges  of  Little  Jeloo,  creeping 
now  along  the  face  of  almost  perpendicular  rocks  by  pas- 
sages cut  in  the  time  of  the  Assyrian  kings,  and  now 
reaching  an  elevation  from  which  they  could  look  around 
on  an  ocean  of  mountains,  rising  wave  beyond  wave, 
“sometimes  eight  parallel  ridges  at  once,”  and  with 
the  storm-clouds  ever  and  anon  gathering  and  burst- 
ing over  them,  reminding  one  strongly  of  a storm  at 
sea.  “ The  two  giant  summits  of  Jeloo,  (Dawell  and  Da- 
rik,)  with  their  precipitous  sides  robed  in  white,  were  on 
our  right.  These  two  peaks  are  said  to  be  fifteen  thousand 
feet  high.  They  are  the  highest  in  Koordistan,  and  are  dis- 
tinctly visible  from  Mosul.”  Sometimes  they  came  to  low 
circular  depressions,  in  which  were  terraced  grounds  cov- 
ered with  millet,  tobacco  and  vines,  with  here  and  there 
a green  tree,  while  the  houses  are  built  on  the  mountain 
sides  above  the  arable  ground,  in  tiers,  perhaps  a dozen  or 
twenty  rising  one  above  another,  and  every  roof  being  a 
sort  of  door-yard  for  the  house  on  the  next  terrace.  Ev- 
ery foot  of  ground  is  occupied,  and  is  as  valuable  to  the 
inhabitants  as  the  ground  along  the  wharves  to  the  people 
of  a great  city.  “ I have  heard  of  the  attachment  of  the 
Laplander  to  his  snows,  the  Scotch  Highlander  to  his 
mountains,  the  Swiss  to  his  Alpine  glaciers ; but  I can  not 
conceive  of  a stronger  love  of  country  than  these  Nestori- 
ans  cherish  for  their  little  plots  of  ground  far  down 
amid  the  volcanic  peaks,  among  which  their  fathers  were 
driven  to  find  a refuge  from  the  fierce  hordes  of  Tam- 
erlane.” 

But  we  can  not  follow  our  travelers  from  day  to  day 
through  the  Nestorian  village  of  Ermintoos,  where  they  saw 
the  commencement  of  a great  shara , or  Hindooized  Chris- 
tian festival  — “a  sacred  feast,  a sacred  dance,  and  a sacred 


288 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


row  ” — through  the  Koordish  village  of  Too,  where  the 
Doctor  was  suddenly  arrested  and  forced  to  dismount  as 
he  was  riding  past  a mosk  — and  from  the  district  of 
Bass,  (whose  inhabitants,  by  their  treachery,  escaped  the 
furious  massacres  of  Beder  Khan  Bey  and  Noorullah  Bey) 
over  into  Tekhoma,  where  at  every  turn  Mr.  Rassam’s  ser- 
vant pointed  out  the  scenes  of  cruel  murder  to  his  coun- 
trymen — “ where  the  stream  was  choked  with  human 
bodies,  and  the  water  was  not  fit  for  use  till  after  several 
months.”  Every  step  here  reminded  them  of  Dr.  Grant, 
and  “ I got  a higher  idea  of  his  devotion,  courage,  and 
energy,”  says  Dr.  Lob  dell,  “ by  following  his  noio  beaten 
track,  than  I had  ever  had  before.  The  consciousness  that 
my  own  heart  would  have  fainted  under  such  trials  and 
toils  as  he  gladly  endured,  made  me  feel,  that  God  raised 
him  up  for  this  express  mission.  Such  a faith  in  Jehovah 
and  his  promises,  and  such  a love  of  souls,  as  his,  pre- 
vading  every  Christian  bosom,  would,  under  God,  secure 
the  speedy  conversion,  not  only  of  these  miserable  moun- 
taineers, but  of  the  whole  benighted  world.” 

Those  who  would  know  more  of  the  romantic  valley 
of  Tekhoma,  with  its  terraces  of  rice  and  millet,  and  its 
little  plantations  of  mulberries,  grapes,  and  walnuts,  must 
consult  Mr.  Laurie’s  Life  of  Dr.  Grant.  The  poor  remnant 
of  the  people,  of  whom  there  are  only  about  five  thousand, 
rendered  more  poor,  dwarfish,  and  timid  by  their  late  per- 
secutions, flocked  to  hear  the  gospel  preached.  The  chief 
obstacle  now  to  their  thorough  evangelization  is  the  miasm 
from  their  fields  of  rice.  Dr.  Lobdell  found  himself  suf- 
fering from  the  effects  of  it,  when  he  reached  Mosul.  He 
urges,  however,  the  immediate  reestablishment  of  a station 
in  that  part  of  the  field,  either  at  Asheeta  or  at  Amadieli, 
which  is  the  point  where  the  Nestorian  and  Assyrian 
missions  seem  to  meet. 

From  this  point,  two  days  and  a half  brought  them  by 
the  fortress  of  Daoudieh,  near  the  village  of  Al-Kosh^ 


ARRIVAL  AT  MOSUL. 


289 


and  through  that  of  Tel  Keif  to  Mosul.  They  passed 
Koyunjik  and  crossed  the  Tigris  by  its  bridge  of  boats, 
as  the  tide  of  fruit-bearing  mountaineers  was  pouring 
into  the  city  on  the  morning  of  the  22d  of  September, 
having  been  ten  days  on  the  road  from  Gawar,  and  a 
hundred  days  from  the  commencement  of  Dr.  Lobdell’s 
tour. 


25 


CHAPTER  XI Y. 


Fellowship  of  Assyrian  and  Nestorian  Missions  — Imperfect  Health  of  Dr. 
Lobdell  — English  Patients  — Practical  Questions  — The  largest  Liberty  — 
Languages  — Gift  of  Tongues  — Climate  — Examination  of  Church  Mem- 
bers—A Marriage  — A Hospital  — Preaching  at  the  Dispensary  — Obstacles 
— Effect  of  the  War — Rabbi  Shiloam  — Moollah  Yoosuf — Annual  Report  of 
the  Mission— Persecution  —Papists  — Progress — Honesty  — Thanksgiving  at 
Mosul  — Private  and  Inward  Life. 

The  visit  to  Oroomiah  long  remained,  like  a fragrant 
odor,  in  the  memory  and  in  the  heart  of  Dr.  Lobdell. 
His  letters,  of  which  he  wrote  many  at  this  time,  make 
frequent  allusions  to  it,  and’with  every  mention,  his  heart 
overflows  with  gratitude  to  God,  as  well  as  grateful  and 
affectionate  remembrances  of  those  beloved  brethren. 
These  pleasant  memories  were  prolonged  by  the  presence 
of  the  two  representatives  of  the  Nestorian  mission,  who 
returned  with  him,  and  enjoyed  for  a season  the  hospitali- 
ties and  the  Christian  communion  of  the  little  circle  at 
Mosul.  Nor  was  the  pleasure  and  the  benefit  of  this 
mutual  interchange  of  visits  confined  to  the  missionaries. 
It  became  a bond  of  mutual  confidence  and  affection  be- 
tween the  churches  and  Christian  communities  which 
they  represented.  They  saw  and  felt,  as  they  had  never 
done  before,  how  sweet  is  the  fellowship  of  real  spiritual 
Christians.  Though  the  churches  were  organized  under 
different  forms,  and  the  missions  were  conducted  on  dif- 
ferent plans,  they  were  manifestly  one  in  spirit.  Though 
separated  by  lofty  mountains,  they  belonged  to  the  same 
fold  and  were  under  the  care  of  the  same  Shepherd. 

When  Mr.  Rhea  and  Mr.  Coan  had  finished  their  visit 
at  Mosul  — a missionary  visit  made  useful  and  delightful, 


BROKEN  CONSTITUTION. 


201 


like  those  of  the  apostles,  by  frequent  seasons  of  social 
and  public  worship,  — Mr.  Marsh  and  Mr.  Williams  went 
with  them  on  a preaching  and  exploring  tour  in  the 
Bootan,  intending  to  return  by  Asheeta  and  Amadieh. 
Meanwhile,  Dr.  Lobdell  did  what  he  could,  in  medical 
practice  and  in  missionary  labor,  though,  during  the 
greater  part  of  their  absence,  he  was  “ lying  on  his  back, 
trying  to  shake  off  the  intermittent  fever,  which  clung  to 
him  for  some  weeks  after  his  return  from  Oroomiah.” 
Fortunately  he  had  native  helpers  in  both  parts  of  his 
work,  on  whom  he  could  rely;  not  only  could  Jeremiah 
and  Michael  preach,  but  Ablahad  had  now  acquired  such 
a knowledge  of  medicine,  that  he  could  visit  patients  in 
the  less  critical  cases.  On  the  13th  of  October,  he  writes 
to  Mr.  Stoddard,  “My  fever  and  ague  has  vanished  before 
large  doses  of  quinine,  and  I almost  fancy  myself  J30ssessed 
of  my  former  vigor.  Still  I notice,  that  a little  extra  ex- 
ertion recalls  to  mind  my  real  condition  — which  is  that 
of  a man  worn  out  in  his  youth.  I do  appreciate,  my  dear 
brother,  your  good  advice  in  reference  to  the  necessity  of 
making  my  moderation  known  to  all  men  — of  4 living 
long,  as  well  as  usefully.’”  In  November,  he  says  in  a 
letter  to  Dr.  Wright : “ I am  warned,  it  seems,  by  you,  as 
well  as  my  other  friends,  that  I am  not  so  4 able-bodied  ’ 
as  I have  been  inclined  to  suppose  myself.  I must  confess, 
that  when  a doctor  expresses  this  opinion,  I ought  to  give 
some  heed  to  my  ways.  I am  glad  to  report  myself,  well. 
Still  a very  little  extra  exertion  prostrates  me;  and  I have 
concluded,  if  possible,  henceforth  to  avoid  fatigue .”  It 
was  on  his  next  birthday,  a month  or  two  later,  that  he 
wrote  the  letter  inserted  in  a former  part  of  this  memoir,* 
in  which  he  says,  that  he  is  twenty-seven  years  old,  but 
feels  as  if  he  were  forty;  and  after  confessing  his  sins 
against  the  laws  of  health,  in  the  hurry  and  over-exertion 
of  all  his  past  life,  warns  his  brother  not  to  do  likewise. 


See  p.  88. 


292 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


May  that  brother  “better  reck  the  rede,  than  did  the 
adviser.”  It  was  not  in  the  nature  of  Dr.  Lobdell  to  hold 
up  long.  He  did  seem,  at  this  time,  to  have  learned  the 
lesson  ; but  it  did  not  “ stay  learned.” 

In  the  autumn  and  winter  of  1853,  in  addition  to  his 
usual  practice  at  the  dispensary  and  at  the  houses  of  the 
natives,  a young  Englishman  came  under  his  care,  whose 
case  excited  not  a little  interest  and  required  not  a little 
attention.  Mr.  Ilodder,  of  whom  we  have  already  spoken 
as  the  accomplished  draftsman  of  Col.  Rawlinson,  fell  sick 
of  a lingering  and  dangerous  sickness ; and,  as  he  could  not 
otherwise  be  properly  cared  for,  Mr.  Marsh  received  him 
into  his  house,  and  Dr.  Lobdell  watched  over  him  like  a 
brother,  kept  his  father  in  England  advised  of  his  situation, 
and  at  length  had  the  happiness  of  believing  that  he  had 
been  the  instrument  of  saving  his  life.  American  mission- 
aries in  the  East  are  in  the  almost  constant  receipt  of  so 
many  acts  of  kindness  and  protection  from  Englishmen, 
that  they  feel  it  to  be  a great  privilege,  when  they  are  able 
to  make  anything  like  a commensurate  return.  There  were 
few  of  the  English  functionaries  in  the  valley  of  the  Tigris, 
whether  officers  of  government,  or  agents  of  the  British 
Museum,  or  noblemen  and  gentlemen  visiting  the  antiqui- 
ties in  the  vicinity  of  Mosul,  that  did  not,  at  some  time, 
afford  Dr.  Lobdell  an  opportunity  for  the  exhibition  of 
his  skill,  his  gratitude,  and  his  benevolence. 

As  the  Protestant  community  at  Mosul  grew  by  a slow 
but  a steady  growth,  there  arose  not  a few  practical  ques- 
tions touching  the  constitution  and  government  of  the 
church,  the  validity  of  Nestorian,  Jacobite,  and  Papal 
baptism,  the  right  of  the  native  helpers,  who  had  been 
either  deacons  or  priests  in  their  old  churches,  to  adminis- 
ter the  ordinances  in  the  new  organization,  the  relation  of 
the  missionaries  to  the  church  and  the  community,  and 
the  relation  of  the  whole  to  the  Board,  its  officers,  and  its 
patrons  at  home.  On  all  these  questions,  Dr.  Lobdell  was 


TIIE  LARGEST  LIBERTY. 


293 


the  advocate  of  the  largest  liberty  compatible  with  law 
and  order.  He  abhorred  despotism,  wherever  and  under 
whatever  aspect  it  showed  itself;  he  abhorred  the  des- 
potism of  forms , not  less  than  the  despotism  of  men  ; 
the  despotism  of  synods  and  councils,  not  less  than  that 
of  popes  and  prelates ; despotism  in  the  church  and  in 
society,  not  less  than  in  the  state.  He  was  a consistent 
and  thorough  republican,  not  in  the  partisan  sense,  but 
according  to  the  spirit  of  the  New  Testament,  which  dis- 
cards burdensome  forms  and  dispenses  with  cumbrous 
machinery ; which  magnifies  the  essential  and  overlooks 
the  non-essential;  and  which  places  all  mankind  on  the 
same  level  before  a common  Father  and  a common  Re- 
deemer. 

Theological  questions  also  sometimes  led  to  animated 
discussions  among  the  missionaries,  who,  though  agreed 
on  all  the  substantial  of  Christian  doctrine,  differed,  as 
men  of  different  mental  constitutions  and  habits  will  dif- 
fer, in  regard  to  non-essentials.  Dr.  Lobdell  bowed  with 
profound  reverence  to  the  divine  authority  of  the  Scrip- 
tures. He  clung  with  every  fibre  of  his  heart  to  the  great 
truths  of  the  evangelical  system.  But  he  did  not  feel 
bound  to  44  swear  in  the  words  4 of  any  merely  human  ’ 
master.”  An  independent  thinker,  and  quite  incapable  of 
any  disguise  in  his  sentiments,  he  asserted  for  himself,  and 
conceded  to  others,  the  same  entire  freedom  of  opinion 
and  freedom  of  speech  in  theological  inquiries  as  in  literary 
and  scientific  investigations.  At  the  same  time,  he  was 
sensible  both  of  danger  to  himself  and  of  a liability  to 
injure  the  feelings  of  others,  in  the  unrestrained  exercise 
of  this  right,  and  there  was  scarcely  any  particular  in 
which  he  more  frequently  and  more  severely  condemned 
himself  at  this  very  period,  than  for  what  he  afterwards 
regarded  as  undue  license  in  discussions  with  his  brethren. 
He  was  naturally  fond  of  argument,  a lover  of  debate, 
perhaps  even  disputatious,  or,  as  he  calls  it,  44  combative.” 
25* 


294 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


So  was  Paul ; so  was  Luther.  It  is  well  that  they  were ; 
else  they  would  never  have  combated  error  in  its  various 
forms  with  so  much  power.  But  it  had  its  evils  and  dan- 
gers. It  widened,  if  it  did  not  open,  the  breach  between 
Luther  and  Zuinglius.  Perhaps  it  had  something  to  do 
with  the  separation  of  Paul  and  Mark.  It  led  to  no  seri- 
ous evils  in  the  little  circle  at  Mosul.  But  it  caused  Dr. 
Lobdell  many  a severe  struggle,  while  he  held  in  with  bit 
and  bridle  this  constitutional  tendency,  and  many  a pang 
of  grief,  when  he  felt  that  he  had  not  succeeded,  after  all, 
in  the  proper  government  of  the  tongue.  W e should  not 
do  justice  to  his  frank  and  fearless,  but  impulsive  and  im- 
perfect nature  — we  should  not  magnify  sufficiently  the 
power  of  divine  grace  — we  should  not  be  true  to  the 
portraiture  of  himself  which  he  has  drawn  in  his  journal, 
without  exhibiting,  in  their  true  light,  these  traits  in  his 
character  as  a man  and  as  a Christian. 

With  a view  to  more  extended  operations  in  the  villages 
of  the  plain  and  through  Jebel  Tour,  if  not  in  the  Bootan, 
the  missionaries  undertook  to  learn  each  of  them  an  addi- 
tional language.  The  Koordish  fell  to  Mr.  Williams,  the 
Turkish  to  Mr.  Marsh,  and  the  Fellahi  to  Dr.  Lobdell. 
At  the  same  time  they  all  made  the  Arabic  their  chief 
study.  “ Fellahi  is  a dialect  of  the  ancient  Syriac,  spoken 
by  the  Chaldeans  of  the  plain,  not  differing  materially 
from  that  of  the  Nestorians  in  Persia.  Syriac  and  Koord- 
ish can  be  used  among  the  Jacobites  between  Jezireh  and 
Mardin.  Turkish  is  the  medium  of  communication  gen- 
erally, more  especially  with  officers  of  government.  It  is 
the  French  language  of  the  Orient.  It  is  not  seldom  that 
we  should  find  a knowledge  of  all  these  languages  useful, 
even  in  the  city.  So  common  is  it  for  individuals  to  use 
a variety  of  tongues,  that  many  intelligent  natives  can 
not  see  that  it  was  any  matter  of  astonishment  that  the 
apostles  c spoke  with  other  tongues  ’ on  the  day  of  Pen- 
tecost. They  think  the  miracle  lay  in  the  fact  that  while 


CLIMATE. 


295 


the  apostles  spoke  in  their  own  language,  every  man  heard 
them  speak  in  his  own  tongue.  4 And  how  hear  we  every 
man  in  our  own  tongue,  wherein  we  were  born.’  The 
astonishment  arose  not  from  the  speaking,  but  from  the 
hearing.” 

In  comparing  his  observations  upon  the  climate  on 
opposite  sides  of  the  mountains,  Dr.  Lobdell  found  that  in 
Mosul,  in  October , the  mercury  rose  18°  higher  than  the 
highest  point  it  reached  at  Mt.  Seir  in  July  and  August . 
The  average  heat  of  the  summer  of  1853  was  greater  than 
that  of  1852,  the  thermometer  at  two  o’clock  in  the  after- 
noon standing  always  as  high  as  98°  for  a hundred  days, 
and  for  eighty  days  ranging  as  high  as  from  100°  to  114°. 
It  is  not  surprising,  in  view  of  such  facts,  that  44  winter 
there  is  the  seed-time  for  the  truth  not  less  than  for  wheat 
and  barley.  In  summer,  the  earth  and  the  intellect  are 
barren.” 

The  following  items,  gathered  from  the  Doctor’s  journal 
and  letters,  will  show  the  state  of  the  missionary  work  at 
the  beginning  of  the  winter,  (December,  1853.)  At  the 
same  time,  some  of  them  will  not  be  uninteresting  as  illus- 
trations of  the  manners  and  character  of  the  people : 
44  Three  men  have  recently  been  examined  for  admission 
to  the  church.  Only  one  of  them  was  admitted ; the  other 
two  were  advised  to  reexamine  themselves.  Their  intellec- 
tual views  were  thoroughly  orthodox,  but  their  spiritual 
perceptions  were  less  clear.  We  are  not  anxious  to  swell 
our  number  at  the  expense  of  purity.  It  is  well  under- 
stood in  the  city,  that  the  Protestants  will  not  make  use 
of  bribes  and  falsehoods  for  the  enlargement  of  their  civil 
community.  It  is  getting  to  be  remarked,  also,  that  even 
members  of  our  community,  or  parish,  are  not  all  entitled 
to  the  privileges  of  the  church.  The  Moslems  often  say 
of  us:  ‘They  are  not  Nesrani  (Christians);  they  are 
vastly  better ; there  are  none  like  them ; they  treat  the 
rich  and  the  poor  just  alike;  they  love  their  enemies  just 


296 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


like  God.’  Some  of  the  Jacobites  confess  that  they  are 
not  good  enough  to  be  of  us.  One  of  them  told  me  a 
few  days  since  that  Protestantism  advances  by  day  and 
by  night,  and  expressed  the  conviction  that  Archbishop 
Behnam  was  sorry  that  his  past  course  towards  the  Amer- 
icans precluded  the  possibility  of  any  union  with  them. 

“ Last  week  the  teacher  of  our  boys’  school  was  making 
a bargain  with  a Jacobite  for  one  of  his  daughters,  in  mar- 
riage, when  it  came  to  the  ears  of  the  archbishop,  and  he 
used  all  his  power  with  the  cadi  to  prevent  the  “ sale,” 
and  even  threatened  the  whole  family  with  the  extreme 
penalty  of  the  church.  But  Butrus  succeeded  in  obtain- 
ing the  girl,  the  archbishop  having  been  led  to  withdraw 
his  threat  by  the  intimation  that  if  he  did  not,  the  father 
and  all  his  house  would  join  the  Protestants.  The  civil 
marriage  was  performed  at  the  time  the  forty-five  dollars 
were  paid  down,  neither  bridegroom  nor  bride  being 
present ! The  money,  in  such  cases,  generally  goes  to  the 
bride,  anti  not  to  the  father.  The  bridegroom’s  agent 
joined  hands  with  the  bride’s  father;  a mysterious  ques- 
tion was  asked  in  English,  to  which  they  assented  in  the 
presence  of  three  Moslem  witnesses,  as  Christian  testimony 
is  not  yet  admissible  in  Turkish  courts ; a prayer  in  Arabic 
was  then  offered,  and  the  ceremony  ended.  The  religious 
service  was  performed  in  so  quiet  and  solemn  a manner, 
as  to  impress  the  assembly,  gathered  in  the  court  of  the 
bridegroom’s  house,  with  a good  degree  of  respect  for  our 
mode  of  marrying.  When  a marriage  occurs  in  a native 
church,  the  noise  of  the  multitude  drowns  the  voices  cf 
the  deacons  and  priests.  Its  religious  character  is  lost 
sight  of ; if  not  absolutely  a disgusting  scene,  it  is  at  best 
but  4 sounding  brass  and  tinkling  cymbals.’ 

44  The  missionaries  were  also  invited,  together  with  the 
ecclesiastics  of  his  own  church,  to  visit  a Jacobite  friend 
the  day  after  his  marriage,  much  to  the  mortification  of 
the  archbishop,  who,  after  so  many  professions  of  in  differ- 


LIGHT  SPREADING. 


297 


cnee  to  forms  and  attachment  to  evangelical  religion  which 
he  had  made,  in  the  ears  of  the  Americans,  was  ashamed 
to  bless,  in  their  presence,  the  handkerchiefs  and  ribbons 
of  the  married  pair,  and  to  make  the  sign  of  the  cross  over 
a gaudy  rag,  a stuffed  onion,  or  some  other  article  of  equal 
importance  among  the  guests.  Nor  was  he  exactly  pleased 
to  be  seated  at  the  same  table  and  4 dip  his  hand  in  the 
same  dish  ’ with  heretics,  whom  he  had  refused  to  see  at 
his  own  house. 

44  Light  is  gradually  making  its  way  without  the  walls 
of  the  city.  Very  many  sick  persons  are  brought  to  us 
from  the  villages  ; and  we  have  thought  of  providing  a 
sort  of  hospital  for  such  diseased  strangers.  The  gospel 
is  daily  preached  to  the  patients  at  the  dispensary,  even 
when  the  majority  of  them  are  Moslems.  Few  listen  more 
calmly  and  attentively  to  our  doctrines  than  the  followers 
of  Mohammed,  though  our  service  is  appointed  for  the 
Christians. 

44  The  average  attendance  on  our  Sabbath  services  is  now 
twenty-five.  It  is  still  considered  a great  shame  for  a 
papist  or  a J acobite  to  be  seen  going  to  our  chapel.  Per- 
secution by  threats  and  stones  is  not  so  powerful  as  the 
finger  of  scorn  or  the  chuckling  laugh.  I was  told  by  a 
Jacobite  last  week,  that  he  and  ten  of  his  associates  were 
deterred  from  joining*  us  in  our  Sabbath  services,  only  by 
the  contemptuous  tones  of  their  less  enlightened  relatives. 
The  Jacobites  are  the  most  hopeful  class  in  Mosul.  They 
are  constantly  battling  among  themselves.  By  their  own 
confession,  their  priests  are  ignorant  and  avaricious.  And 
it  is  not  without  its  effect,  that  a peaceful  band  of  Prot- 
estants are  preaching  by  their  daily  lives  that  financial 
and  moral  honesty,  which,  the  people  will  not  long  fail  to 
see,  is  the  characteristic  and  the  proof  of  orthodoxy  rather 
than  heresy. 

44  The  rumors  of  war  which  reach  the  people  are  very 
exciting;  and,  to  some  extent,  they  interfere  with  our 


298 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


work.  Many  of  the  Christians  are  thinking  of  self- 
defense,  instead  of  making  God  their  refuge.  In  some 
respects,  the  present  is  a good  time  to  preach  Christ,  the 
stone  which  shall  grind  to  powder  all  on  whom  it  falls. 
A few  months  since,  the  Christians  were  in  great  dread 
of  an  outburst  of  Moslem  fanaticism.  The  chief  Moham- 
medans all  carried  huge  dirks  in  their  bosoms,  and  it  was 
only  after  an  order  sent  from  Constantinople  to  the 
pasha,  enjoining  that  foreigners  and  Christians  be  well 
treated,  that  the  proud  Moslems  laid  aside  their  daggers, 
and  the  trembling  Christians  regained  their  courage.  W e 
pray  that  the  Turk  may  triumph,  feeling  sure  that  this 
will  secure  to  the  Christians  in  the  empire  greater  immu- 
nities than  they  have  ever  enjoyed  since  the  Crescent  rose 
over  the  land. 

“ Just  before  the  arrival  of  the  order  from  the  Porte,  of 
which  I have  been  speaking,  a Jewish  rabbi,  with  whom 
we  have  often  had  discussions,  had  been  seized  by  the 
order  of  the  TJlema  (wise  mooliahs),  and  brought  before 
the  cadi,  on  a charge  of  having,  four  years  previous,  reviled 
the  Prophet ! The  cadi  declared  that  he  found  nothing 
worthy  of  death  in  the  man  ; but  when  the  Ulema  threat- 
ened to  kill  the  cadi  himself,  if  he  did  not  sign  a paper 
for  the  execution  of  the  Jew,  and  actually  seized  the 
judge,  he  consented,  Pilate-like,  to  the  rabbi’s  death. 
The  man  was  put  in  prison,  and  the  Ulema  are  now 
expecting  an  order  for  his  execution  by  every  post.  Cap- 
ital punishments  must  have  the  previous  sanction  of  the 
sultan.  Unless  Sir  Stratford  Canning  uses  his  powerful 
influence,  the  rabbi  will  soon  be  beheaded.  I visited  this 
poor  Shiloam,  loaded  with  chains,  in  his  prison  ; and  his 
haggard  look  went  to  my  heart.  Ilis  case,  with  other 
illustrations  of  Moslem  Ainaticism,  may  serve  to  awaken 
more  j>rayer  to  God,  that  He  will  so  overrule  the  present 
war,  that  freedom  of  speech,  and  freedom  for  the  Bible, 
may  be  enjoyed  throughout  the  Orient. 


MOOLLAH  YOOSUF. 


299 


“ I have  frequent  visits  from  Moollah  Yoosuf,  a fine 
looking  man,  about  fifty  years  of  age,  who  was  formerly  a 
Syrian  priest.  All  priests  in  the  Jacobite  and  papalized 
eastern  churches  are  forbidden  to  marry  after  they  are 
ordained,  and  as  this  man,  some  time  subsequent  to  the 
loss  of  his  wife,  wished  to  marry  again,  he  was  persecuted, 
so  that  he  was  obliged  to  abajidon  his  sect  entirely.  He 
was  even  excommunicated,  with  dreadful  anathemas, 
lie  wanted  to  join  the  Jacobites,  but  they  refused  him. 
Meanwhile  an  order,  secured  through  French  influence, 
came  from  Constantinople,  for  his  forcible  removal  from 
the  city.  The  cawass,  that  was  conducting  him  to  Bagh- 
dad, beat  him  so  cruelly  on  the  way,  that  when  they 
arrived  at  Arbeel,  the  priest  exclaimed,  “ There  is  no  God 
but  God,  and  Mohammed  is  his  prophet.”  Whereupon 
the  cawass  confessed  that  he  had  been  hired  to  kill  him 
before  they  arrived  at  Baghdad,  but  now  he  declared  that 
he  was  his  best  friend.  He  was  received  with  the  greatest 
kindness  by  the  governor  of  Arbeel,  and  conducted  back 
to  Mosul  with  great  honor,  to  the  chagrin  of  his  Syrian 
oppressors.  He  now  receives  an  annual  stipend  from 
the  government,  and  bears  the  title  of  Moollah.  He  tells 
me  that  he  knows  Jesus  is  the  only  redeemer,  and  longs 
to  confess  him  before  men ; but  he  thinks  God  will  accept 
his  silent,  heartfelt  service,  since  an  open  confession  of  his 
regard  for  Christianity,  in  spite  of  all  the  rights  guaran- 
teed by  the  tunzimat , would  cause  his  head  to  drop 
instantly  in  the  street. 

“ A Moslem  is  now  under  sentence  of  death  for  reviling 
Mohammed ; to  blaspheme  the  name  of  God  is  no  sin. 

“ American  Christians  should  pray  much  for  the  triumph 
of  righteousness  in  Turkey,  and  rejoice,  with  their  mis- 
sionaries, that  God  reigns.” 

In  the  annual  report  of  the  station  for  1853,  the  mis- 
sionaries say : “ There  is  no  doubt  that  our  dispensary  is 
an  important  means  of  advancing  our  work.  Our  doc- 


300 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


trines  are  learned  there  by  many  whom  we  should  never 
meet  elsewhere.  Prejudices  are  smoothed  away,  and 
confidence  is  established  in  our  honesty  and  good  will. 

“We  have  endeavored  in  vain  to  procure  a firman  from 
the  Porte,  fixing  the  salicin  at  fifty  piastres  a house,  the 
sum  at  which  other  sects  are  rated.  Consequently  our 
enemies  have  a financial  hold  upon  those  who  desire  to 
join  us.  They  can  and  do  increase  their  tax  at  pleasure. 

“ The  papists  are  the  most  wealthy  of  the  Christian 
sects ; and  consequently  they  have  the  most  influence 
with  the  government.  They  have  tried  to  wrest  from  us 
a plot  of  ground,  which  we  have  purchased  for  a grave- 
yard, endeavoring  to  induce  the  Moslems,  from  whom  we 
obtained  it,  to  use  their  influence  with  the  government  to 
this  end  ; and  all  this,  though  one  of  our  deeds  is  one 
hundred  and  twenty  years  old,  and  ten  years,  according  to 
Turkish  law,  gives  legality  to  the  possession  of  real  estate. 
They  would,  if  it  were  possible,  give  our  bones  no  rest, 
any  more  than  did  the  Roman  Catholics  of  France  the 
ashes  of  the  Protestants  two  centuries  ago. 

“ The  attendance  at  our  Sabbath  services  has  increased, 
this  year,  twenty  per  cent.  The  male  members  of  the 
church  are  seldom  absent,  even  from  our  evening  services  ; 
but  the  female  members  are  unable  to  attend  the  latter, 
on  account  of  the  shame  attached  to  a woman’s  being 
seen  in  the  streets  at  night.  They  are  evidently  growing 
in  knowledge  and  in  grace,  and  have  established  a repu- 
tation for  strict  honesty,  temperance,  and  good-will  to 
man.” 

Those  who  are  in  the  habit  of  observing  the  annual 
Thanksgiving,  will  be  pleased  to  know  that  that  model 
festival,  at  once  secular  and  sacred,  national  and  domestic, 
has  traveled  as  far  East  as  Mosul.  The  sons  of  the  Puri- 
tans observe  it  on  the  banks  of  the  Tigris,  in  sight  of 
ancient  Nineveh,  and  they  will  doubtless  carry  it  with 
them  round  the  globe.  Says  Dr.  Lobdell,  in  a letter  to 


THANKSGIVING  IN  TURKEY. 


301 


Dr.  Perkins,  bearing  date  Nov.  25,  1853 : “ It  was  a 
matter  of  great  rejoicing  yesterday  morning,  that  your 
messenger  handed  us  the  full  packet  from  Oroomiah  and 
Gawar  on  Thanksgiving  day.  This  made  us  doubly 
thankful.  You  will  infer  that  we  celebrated  the  day  a la 
4 auld  lang  syne.’  So  we  did,  — all  but  the  turkey,  sub- 
stituting for  that  a gazelle  from  the  desert.  As  Mr. 
Hodder  said,  4 Seeing  we  are  in  Turkey,  it  is  less  neces- 
sary that  the  turkey  be  in  us.’  Brother  Williams 
preached  a sermon,  showing  the  new  to  be  better  than 
the  old,  and  altogether  we  had  quite  a social  time  of  it. 
I am  not  aware  whether  you  good  people  in  Oroomiah 
are  accustomed  to  observe  such  occasions,  but  it  really 
seems  to  me  quite  a23ropos  that  we,  poor  missionaries  as 
we  are,  should  join  in  the  thanksgivings  of  our  countrvmen 
at  home.” 

A few  selections,  taken  at  random  from  his  journal,  will 
afford  some  glimpses  of  his  private  and  inward  life  at  this 
time.  44  W e need  much  direct  conversation  with  each  other 
on  the  subject  of  growth  in  grace.  It  is  hard  to  be  Christ- 
like  even  here.  The  old  man  sometimes  almost  subdues 
the  new ; but  we  know  that  He  who  hath  begun  a good 
work  in  us,  will  carry  it  forward  even  unto  perfection. 

44  When  I do  God’s  will,  I always  have  peace  ; when 
I oppose,  I am  always  disquieted.  It  requires  a hard 
struggle  for  me  to  conquer  my  old  nature.  There  is  a 
constant  war  in  my  members.  My  tongue  and  my 
thoughts  struggle.  I need  grace  from  God. 

44  Too  unmindful  of  my  great  mercies.  Oh  for  a better 
heart ! Solemn  thoughts  of  loneliness  if  Lucy  should  die, 
or  Mary.  4 Be  careful  for  nothing.’ 

44  Dec.  18th.  Seized  with  fever  about  noon,  and  obliged 
to  go  to  bed. 

44  27th.  Was  born  Julius  Henry  Lobdell.  I was  unable 
to  be  in  the  room. 

44  29th.  All  are  attentive  and  kind  to  Lucy  and  me.  I 
26 


302 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


think  our  brethren  pray  for  me  much.  I believe  I am 
beloved  in  Mosul ; and  I trust  I shall  preach  even  by  my 
illness. 

“31st.  I have  had  two  very  severe  attacks  of  illness, 
this  year,  besides  some  others  less  dangerous.  Twice 
have  I been  in  actual  danger  of  death  from  the  Koords ; 
once  I was  almost  shipwrecked.  What  occasion  have  I 
for  thanksgiving  to  God  that  I live  ! 

“ I lay  myself  on  the  altar  of  the  Lord  anew.  I promise 
to  be  a more  faithful  servant ; to  live  with  a more  con- 
stant sense  of  God’s  presence  and  providence  ; and,  as 
much  as  in  me  lies,  to  live  peaceably  with  all  men.  Oh 
for  divine  guidance  this  coming  year!  I have  many 
apprehensions  that  I may  not  live  to  see  its  close.  But  I 
am  immortal  till  my  work  is  done.  May  I be  baptized 
with  a fresh  baptism ; be  re-renew'ed  with  the  renewal  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  desire  to  know  nothing  but  Jesus 
Christ  and  him  crucified.  To  thee,  O God,  I devote  all 
my  powers;  I give  thee  my  possessions,  my  wife,  my 
children!  Wilt  thou  accept  the  offering  ! It  is  all  I have : 
but  it  is  thine,  and  may  it  be  acceptable  to  thee.  And 
the  praise  and  glory  shall  be  unto  the  F ather,  the  Son,  and 
the  Holy  Ghost,  for  ever.  Amen.” 


CHAPTER  XY. 


Second  Winter  in  Mosul  — Ice  — Health  — Resolutions  — Growth  in  Grace 
— The  Bible  — The  Dispensary  — Spread  of  the  Truth  — Nimrood  and  Koyun- 
jik  — Sliiloam  — Illustrations  of  Life  in  Mosul  — Oriental  Theology  — Prot- 
estant Community  at  Diarbekr  — General  Meeting  of  the  Assyrian  Misson  — 
Journey  of  Dr.  Lobdell  and  Mr  Marsh  to  Diarbekr  — Changes  and  Progress 
there  — Letters  to  Mr.  Crane  and  Dr.  Perkins. 

The  second  winter  of  Dr.  Lobdell’s  residence  at  Mosul 
was  colder,  or,  to  use  language  more  in  accordance  with 
our  ideas  of  winter  in  America,  not  so  warm  as  the  first. 
Dews  were  more  frequent,  though  still  far  from  being 
common  or  copious.  There  was  also  occasionally  some 
appearance  of  frost;  and  on  the  26th  of  January,  the 
thermometer  was  down  to  27°,  and  there  was  ice  in  the 
gardens  — the  first  which  the  Doctor  had  seen  in  Mosul. 
Still  it  was  not  too  cool  for  health,  strength,  or  comfort. 
It  imparted  a temporary  vigor  even  to  Dr.  Lobdell’s  shat- 
tered frame,  and  he  sometimes  writes  as  if  he  were  well 
and  strong  again ; though  over-exertion  soon  brought  on 
a relapse,  and  convinced  others,  and  himself  too  for  the 
time,  that  his  constitution  was  prematurely  worn  out,  and 
would  not  probably  last  long. 

He  begins  the  year  1854,  as  he  closed  the  previous 
year,  with  a recorded  consecration  to  his  work  — with 
returning  health,  (as  he  flattered  himself,  though  still  un- 
able to  go  to  the  chapel  on  Sunday  morning,  the  first 
morning  of  the  new  year)  and  with  new  faith,  hope,  and 
joy:  “My  health  is  fast  improving,  and  I hope  to  give  all 
my  strength,  this  year,  to  the  service  of  the  Lord.  May  it 


304 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


be  a consecration  of  the  whole  heart.  There  is  no  satis- 
faction but  in  living  entirely  to  him ; let  mine  be  no  half- 
way service.  I believe  I begin  the  year  with  stronger 
resolutions  than  ever  before,  to  live  for  eternity  and  the 
salvation  of  souls.  I am  happy,  very  happy,  and  trust  I 
shall  be  till  I am  called  up  higher,  where  my  happiness 
shall  have  no  alloy.”  Strange  as  it  may  seem  to  men  of 
the  world,  who  find  their  happiness  in  wealth  and  fashion, 
and  rank,  and  standing,  missionaries  are  uniformly  found 
to  be  the  happiest  of  men.  They  differ  in  their  tempera- 
ments and  modes  of  manifesting  their  happiness.  But 
they  are  all  happy  in  their  work,  and  in  the  approval  of 
their  Master.  Seldom  have  we  seen  a missionary  (and 
we  have  seen  many  of  them  both  in  this  country  and  at 
their  stations),  who  did  not  feel  that  he  had  the  most 
desirable  situation,  and  the  most  profitable  business,  the 
highest  office,  and  the  largest  salary,  of  any  in  the  wide 
world.  The  truth  is,  we  are  happy  just  about  in  the 
same  proportion  as  we  deny  ourselves  to  do  the  will  of 
God  and  benefit  our  fellow-men.  Indeed,  this  is  just  what 
the  Master  promises  those  who  forsake  earthly  possessions 
and  earthly  friends  for  his  sake  — an  hundred  fold  more 
than  they  forsake,  in  this  present  time,  and  in  the  world 
to  come,  life  everlasting. 

As  he  advanced  in  the  divine  life,  Dr.  Lobdell  had  a 
growing  conviction  of  the  reality  and  importance  of  those 
fundamental  truths  of  revelation,  which  Rowland  Hill 
somewhat  quaintly  denominated  the  three  ATs, — Ruin  by 
Sin,  Redemption  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  Regeneration  by  the 
Holy  Spirit.  As  he  was  more  deeply  and  experimentally 
convinced  of  the  depravity  of  his  heart  and  the  corrup- 
tion of  his  nature,  so,  as  both  cause  and  effect  of  this  con- 
viction, he  prized  more  highly  the  unspeakable  gift  of 
salvation  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  experienced  more 
fully  the  power  of  the  truth  and  the  Spirit  of  God.  The 
Bible,  long  prized  above  all  price,  became  more  and  more 


FEE ACHING  AT  TIIE  DISPENSARY. 


305 


precious  to  him  ; and  lie  would  exclaim : “I  enjoyed  read- 
ing the  Bible  more  than  ever  before ; oh  ! this  is  the  word 
of  lifer  “ llow  interesting  is  the  Old  Testament ! Even 
the  minutest  statements  of  Moses,  Ezekiel,  and  Daniel,  are 
full  of  meaning.  Judges,  Ecclesiastes,  Solomon’s  Song, 
and  the  minor  prophets  are  fraught  with  instruction. 
Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  and  David  are  angel-seers  — divine 
prophets,  whose  words  are  full  of  life  and  glory.” 

There  was  not  usually  so  great  a rush,  either  of  patients, 
or  of  disputers  and  inquirers,  at  this  time,  as  there  had 
been  the  previous  year ; nor  was  there  so  much  excite- 
ment. Still  there  were  at  times  a hundred  at  the  dispen- 
sary. Often  the  Moslems  outnumbered  the  Christians. 
But  this  was  not  deemed  a sufficient  reason  for  withhold- 
ing the  truth  of  the  gospel.  The  preaching  was  addressed 
particularly  to  Christians  ; but  Christ  crucified  was  boldly 
proclaimed  as  the  only  way  of  salvation  for  sinful  men  of 
whatever  name  or  nation.  “We  yet  preach  the  whole 
counsel  of  God,”  says  Dr.  Lobdell  in  a letter  to  Mr.  Stod- 
dard, “ to  Moslems  as  well  as  Christians,  desiring  to  be 
4 pure  from  the  blood  of  all  men,’  as  I told  the  crowd  the 
last  day  I was  at  the  dispensary.  Moslems  listen  with 
great  interest,  and  applaud  Protestant  Christianity.  It 
will  not  be  long  before  Moslems  can  turn  Christians  in 
Turkey ; and  we  are  doing  John  the  Baptist’s  work  for 
them  here  — a work  as  necessary  as  Paul’s.  How  much 
we  need  the  reviving  influences  of  the  Holy  Ghost ! ” The 
dispensary  was  now  the  chief  field  of  missionary  labor.  Yet 
the  missionaries  had  frequent  calls  at  their  houses  ; and 
there  was  scarcely  a day  in  which  Dr.  Lobdell  did  not 
converse  with  many  of  all  sects  at  his  study,  and  always 
more  or  less  directly  upon  the  way  of  salvation  by  repen- 
tance towards  God  and  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Often  one  sect  was  made  the  means  of  exposing  the  errors 
of  another ; and  then  all  alike  were  arraigned  before  the 
bar  of  God,  and  convicted  by  44  the  law  and  the  testimony.” 

26* 


306 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


Even  the  native  Christians,  who  two  years  ago  never 
dared  to  speak  to  a Moslem  on  any  point  of  religious 
difference,  and  who  a year  ago  begged  the  missionaries 
to  desist  from  preaching  to  the  followers  of  Mohammed, 
now  gathering  Christian  manliness  from  the  example  of 
their  teachers,  conversed  with  all  on  their  souls’  salvation. 
“We  have  daily  new  evidence  that  the  truths  of  the 
Bible  are  making  a wide  and  deep  impression.  A score 
of  Christians  are  now  (March  10th,  1854,)  sitting  in  my 
court,  waiting  for  me  to  expound  to  them  our  doctrines. 
They  are  thowing  off  their  fears  of  the  priesthood  ; and 
I am  told  that  even  the  Chaldeans  have  stopped  kissing 
pictures.  The  Jacobite  clergy  have  all  ceased  to  preach, 
except  the  archbishop,  as  many  of  their  people  know  more 
about  the  Bible  than  they  do ; and  they  are  ashamed, 
either  to  preach  from  the  Fathers,  as  they  have  been 
accustomed  to  do,  or  publicly  to  disown  their  authority. 
They  simply  attend  to  the  rites  of  the  church.  It  is  about 
thirty  years  since,  Joseph  Wolf  gave  a Bible  to  a Jacobite 
deacon  of  Mosul.  Before  that  time,  there  was  not  a com- 
plete copy  in  the  city.  Now  multitudes  have  the  Word 
in  their  hands,  and  not  a few  in  their  hearts. 

“ Thirty  adults  are  now  taught  at  their  homes  by  an 
itinerant  teacher  in  our  employ  ; and  thirty  more  attend 
the  male  school  regularly,  or  spend  some  hours  there 
every  day.  One  hundred  piastres  were  recently  contrib- 
uted in  private  by  a day  laborer  not  yet  of  our  community, 
for  the  spread  of  the  gospel.  This  sum  is  his  wages  for  a 
month.  Are  there  many  Christians  in  America  who  con- 
tribute a twelfth  part  of  their  income  for  the  evangeliza- 
tion of  the  world  ? ” The  sons  of  poor  parents  gave  them- 
selves to  be  educated  for  the  service  of  the  church  ; and 
the  missionaries  began  already  to  agitate  the  question, 
whether  it  would  not  be  better  to  establish  a seminary  at 
Mosul,  than  to  send  young  men  to  Abeih.  The  gospel, 
when  once  it  is  fairly  introduced,  works  like  leaven  — 


NATIVE  ASSYRIAN  MISSIONAKIES. 


307 


when  it  once  begins  to  spread,  it  spreads  often  in  a myste- 
rious way  and  with  rapidly  accelerating  velocity.  The 
missionaries  at  Mosul  were  one  day  surprised  to  hear  that 
at  Sat,  a village  in  the  mountains,  which  they  had  never 
visited,  and  of  which  they  had  scarcely  heard,  a Protest- 
ant community  had  been  spontaneously  organized,  and 
its  representatives  had  come  to  Mosul  with  the  first  tax 
already  collected,  to  lay  it  at  the  pasha’s  feet.  Of  course 
he  was  not  slow  to  accept  it,  and  they  went  away  rejoicing. 

As  the  influence  of  Protestant  Christianity  extended, 
calls  for  instruction  came  from  greater  distances  ; and  the 
native  helpers  were  sent  out  as  missionaries,  not  only  into 
the  villages  of  the  plain,  but  to  the  larger  towns  and  cities 
up  and  down  the  Tigris.  “ Kos  Michael  has  returned  from 
a tour  to  Jezireh,  where  he  spent  a few  weeks  preaching 
to  the  Jacobites.  The  way  is  fast  opening  there  for  steady 
missionary  labor.  We  have  recently  made  arrangements 
for  a school  in  that  city,  and  another  at  Nahrwan. 

“ Jeremiah  and  Micha  are  now  absent  on  a missionary 
tour  to  Baghdad.  They  went  down  the  Tigris  by  raft, 
and  having  scattered  some  seeds  of  Protestantism  there, 
are  expected  to  return  by  the  way  of  Tekrit  and  Arbeel, 
preaching  to  the  villages  along  their  route.  W e shall  be 
disappointed,  if  great  good  is  not  accomplished  by  these 
native  Assyrian  missionaries. 

“ Mr.  Marsh  and  myself  accompanied  them  as  far  as 
Mmrood,  where  we  examined  some  sculptured  gods  in 
human  form,  which  have  been  recently  exhumed.*  The 
inscription  on  the  largest  statue  is  said  to  be  more  imj)or- 
tant  than  any  hitherto  found  at  Nimrood.  The  excava- 
tions at  Koyunjik  are  still  vigorously  prosecuted,  and 
several  finely  panelled  rooms  have  just  been  laid  open. 
The  sculptures  are  the  most  finished  and  interesting  of 
any  yet  discovered  in  Assyria.  Yet  scarcely  half  a dozen 

*Dr.  L.  sent  an  account  of  this  day’s  adventures  and  observations  to  the 
“ Independent.” 


308 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


of  the  people  of  Mosul  have  felt  interest  enough  in  them 
to  visit  the  ruins,  though  but  a mile  distant.  Many  Mos- 
lems go  to  Nebbi  Yunus  weekly,  to  pray  in  the  mosk 
of  Jonah  ; but  the  disentombed  idols  of  the  heathen  are 
to  them  objects  of  disgust.  What  a flood  of  light  these 
discoveries  are  pouring  upon  the  sacred  W ord ! The  end 
is  not  yet.” 

Dr.  Lobdell’s  journals  and  letters,  at  this  as  at  every  other 
period  of  his  life,  attest  his  great  love  of  literature,  science, 
and  antiquities,  and  his  earnest  desire  to  contribute  to 
their  advancement,  yet  his  determination  to  subordinate 
these  and  every  other  object  of  interest  to  the  salvation 
of  man  and  the  advancement  of  the  Redeemer’s  kingdom. 
In  a letter  to  Mr.  Stoddard,  dated  Jan.  3, 1854,  he  says : “ I 
was  greatly  interested  in  your  last  letter  to  Bro.  Williams, 
in  which  you  speak  of  the  variation  of  the  magnetic  me- 
ridian and  other  scientific  topics.  I should  be  strongly 
tempted  to  go  into  certain  literary  and  scientific  investiga- 
tions, which  might  be  prosecuted  here  to  advantage,  were 
it  not  that  higher  employments  demand  almost  all  my 
strength.  I have  a great  taste  for  natural  history  and 
antiquities.  But  the  missionary  can  only  sip  at  these 
fountains,  and  leave  the  full  draught  to  the  professed 
devotees  of  science.” 

So  in  regard  to  epistolary  correspondence,  which  he 
greatly  enjoyed,  he  did  not  suffer  it  to  interfere  with  his 
work,  and  he  did  not  wish  his  friends,  much  as  he  rejoiced 
in  their  letters,  to  write  him  when  they  had  more  impor- 
tant duties : “ Never  let  your  correspondence  with  me  (so 

he  writes  his  former  pastor,  Rev.  W.  C.  Scofield)  inter- 
fere with  your  public  duties,  as  I never  mean  to  allow  it 
to  interfere  with  mine.  All  my  letters  are  written  in 
great  haste,  at  odd  intervals,  and  when  no  one  is  present 
with  whom  I may  talk  about  the  things  of  salvation,  for 
you  must  know  that  missionary  preaching  is  not  on  the 


THE  JEWISH  RABBI. 


309 


Sabbath  only,  but  throughout  the  week  it  is  ‘warning 
every  one  night  and  day.’  I seldom  allow  a man  to  leave 
my  house  without  speaking  to  him  of  Christ.  At  present, 
March,  1854,  I have  a hundred  patients  daily  — all  sorts 
of  diseases  being  represented,  from  leprosy  down  to  scald- 
head.  We  preach  salvation  by  Christ  crucified  ( the  doc- 
trine most  of  all  hated  by  Moslems)  without  reserve,  and 
the  truth  daily  triumphs.  Our  boldness  may  be  danger- 
ous ; but  we  can  not  do  otherwise  than  recommend  Jesus 
to  all .” 

Shiloam,  the  Jewish  rabbi,  whose  imprisonment  was 
mentioned  in  the  last  chapter,  and  in  whose  behalf  the 
American  missionaries,  as  well  as  the  English  consul  at 
Mosul,  interposed  their  best  offices,  was  rescued  from  death 
through  the  influence  of  Sir  Stratford  Canning.  The 
Sheikh  el  Islam  at  Constantinople  reversed  his  sentence, 
and  administered  a severe  rebuke  to  the  Ulema  for  their 
blind  fanaticism.  The  rabbi,  however,  purchased  his  life 
somewhat  dearly,  as  he  was  ordered  to  report  himself 
forthwith  at  Constantinople ; he  was  acquitted  and  saved, 
but  he  was  indirectly  robbed  of  his  property  and  sent 
into  exile. 

About  the  same  time,  the  bigotry  and  persecuting  zeal 
of  the  papalized  Nestorians  and  Jacobites  received  a 
check.  “ Last  Sabbath  evening,  a Jacobite  fled  to  my 
house  in  great  terror.  It  seems  that  he  and  his  brother 
were  declaring  to  a crowd  of  Chaldeans  and  Jacobites, 
that  Christ  is  the  onlv  Mediator,  and  that  the  Virgin 
Mary  does  not  desire  or  approve  of  prayers  offered  to  her- 
self; when,  in  lieu  of  other  arguments,  they  were  attacked 
by  the  worshipers  of  the  Virgin,  with  threats  of  personal 
injury  and  even  of  imprisonment.  The  brothers  took  to 
flight,  but  one  of  them  was  soon  seized  by  a cawass 
sent  by  the  English  consul  on  complaint  of  the  Chal- 
deans through  his  papal  brother,  and  the  parties  met  face 
to  face  before  the  Protestant  judge.  Mr.  Rassam  did  not 


310' 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


fail  to  administer  to  the  crowd  a stern  rebuke,  and  even 
to  preach  to  them  an  expository  sermon,  closing  with  the 
remark  that,  c the  Americans  are  preaching  Protestant 
doctrines  every  day  at  their  dispensary  to  scores  and  hun- 
dreds of  Moslems,  as  well  as  Christians,  and  no  one  ever 
troubles  them.5  The  Jacobite  was  discharged,  and  he 
and  his  brother,  and  a multitude  of  others,  are  allowed  free 
speech  among  the  Christian  sects  ; and  even  the  Moslems 
listen  with  interest  to  their  harangues  .” 

The  children  of  Mr.  Williams  and  of  Dr.  Lobdell  were 
in  the  habit  of  riding  out  for  their  health  under  the  care 
of  a servant,  in  wicker  baskets  of  suitable  dimensions, 
properly  fitted,  furnished,  and  protected  from  the  sun, 
which  were  slung  across  the  back  of  a donkey,  one  on 
either  side,  like  the  old-fashioned  saddle-bags.  It  was  a 
very  convenient  and  not  unpleasant  fashion,  imported  from 
Oroomiah,  and  it  attracted  not  a little  attention  from  the 
boys  and  even  “ children  of  a larger  growth,”  who  some- 
times took  the  liberty  to  annoy  them  and  to  throw  stones 
at  them  as  they  threaded  the  narrow  streets.  It  became 
necessary  to  put  a stop  to  this  rude  sport.  Mr.  Rassam 
was  attentive  and  efficient  in  such  matters.  Several 
policemen  were  sent  to  hunt  up  the  guilty  parties.  “ Three 
were  imprisoned.  One  large  boy,  who  had  struck  the  ser- 
vant, was  seized  only  by  the  police  taking  the  chief 
man  in  his  quarter  as  security,  till  he  was  delivered  up  ! 
This  is  a phase  of  Turkish  law  — making  a town  or  quar- 
ter responsible  for  the  evil  done  in  it” 

Dr.  Lobdell  makes  frequent  mention  in  his  journal,  of 
such  primitive  usages  of  society,  and  also  of  still  more 
primitive  processes  in  labor,  which  were  constantly  attract- 
ing his  observation.  As  examples  of  the  latter  may  be 
instanced  the  use  of  the  hands  for  a trowel,  by  masons; 
the  use  of  the  great  toes  as  a vice,  by  carpenters  and 
other  mechanics  ; the  employment  of  a spade  held  by  one 
man  and  drawn  with  a rope  by  another,  as  a scraper  in 


ORIENTAL  THEOLOGY. 


311 


digging  trenches  in  the  fields  and  gardens ; and  the  sons  of 
the  desert  riding  their  fiery  steeds  with  a mere  halter, 
without  hit  or  bridle. 

But  nothing  in  all  the  Orient  struck  him  so  strangely  as 
some  of  their  crude  and  contradictory  notions  in  theology, 
and  the  more  crude  and  contradictory  arguments  by 
which  they  supported  them.  Sometimes  in  their  idola- 
trous attachment  to  Mary,  the  so-called  Christians  would 
argue  that  Mary,  Christ,  and  God  were  all  the  same,  thus 
justifying  and  explaining  the  misapprehension  which  Dr. 
Lobdell  found  to  be  the  prevailing  idea  of  the  Trinity 
among  the  Mohammedans,  viz. : that  it  consists  of  the 
Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Virgin  Mary.  At  other  times 
they  would  endeavor  to  explain  away  their  Mariolatry,  and 
would  declare  that  they  did  not  worship  the  Virgin,  or 
pray  to  her.  And  then  he  would  read  to  them  from  one 
of  the  prayers  in  their  liturgy : “ Oh,  Virgin  Mary,  pray 
for  us ; oh,  door  of  heaven ; oh,  mother  of  divine  grace ; 
oh,  spotless  mother ; oh,  mother  of  the  Creator  ; oh,  ref- 
uge of  sinners ; oh,  defence  of  Christians ; oh,  queen  of 
angels ! ” and  a whole  page  of  epithets  equally  extrava- 
gant and  idolatrous. 

Even  the  Moslem  women  caught  the  language  of  their 
Christian  sisters,  and  begged  of  the  Doctor  that  he  would 
heal  them  for  the  sake  of  the  Virgin  Mary . “ Who  is 

she  ? ” asked  the  Doctor  of  such  a woman.  “ They  (i.  e. 
the  Christian  women)  say  so.”  “ Y es, but  who  is  she  ? ” “I 
d o n’t  know.”  “ Who  is  Christ  ? ” “I  do  n’t  know.”  u Do 
you  know  who  Allah  is  ? ” She  looked  up  and  smote  her 
breast.  “ Where  is  he  ? ” “ I do  n’t  know.”  “ What  is 

he  ? ” “ Allah  — I only  know  that.” 

The  only  passage  of  Scripture  by  which  those  who 
prayed  to  the  saints,  attempted  to  justify  the  practice,  was 
the  prayer  of  the  rich  man  to  father  Abraham  in  the 
parable  of  Dives  and  Lazarus,  which,  the  Doctor  told 


312 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


them,  did  not  appear  to  him  to  he  a very  encouraging 
example. 

The  Jacobites  advanced  very  inconsistent  doctrines  and 
arguments  touching  the  character  and  condition  of  infants. 
In  the  course  of  the  same  discussion,  the  same  men  argued, 
1st,  that  all  unbaptized  infants  are  lost ; 2d,  that  all  chil- 
dren are  sinless,  since  Christ  came  and  took  away  the 
effects  of  original  sin ; and  3d,  all  children  are  saved,  if 
they  die  before  they  sin  ; for  Christ  said,  “ Of  such  is  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.”  “ Admirable  consistency ! These 
people  see  but  a short  distance  into  logic.” 

The  Protestant  community  at  Diarbekr  was  not  a little 
agitated  at  this  time  by  the  working  of  more  or  less  of 
the  old  leaven  of  baptismal  regeneration.  “ Christ,”  they 
argued,  “ commanded  his  disciples  to  baptize  as  well  as  to 
preach  the  gospel ;”  and  they  wished  baptism  for  all , and 
that  all  moral  Protestants,  at  least,  should  be  admitted  to 
the  church.  The  truth  was  spreading,  and  there  were 
doubtless  true  Christians  among  them.  But  two  out  of 
the  three  original  members  of  the  church  (or  rather  com- 
munion, for  Dr.  Smith  had  not  organized  it  formally  or 
fully  as  a church)  gave  no  suitable  evidence  of  personal 
piety ; the  man  whom  they  had  chosen  for  their  civil  head 
proved  also  to  be  a bad  man ; and  to  complete  the 
catalogue  of  their  trials,  the  pasha,  whom  they  had  been 
so  anxious  to  get  rid  of,  was  succeeded  by  a fresh  and 
more  hungry  blood-sucker,  who  preyed  upon  all  sects  and 
all  classes  without  mercy,  though  not  without  partiality, 
for  he  was  particularly  hostile  to  the  Protestants.  For 
example,  he  demanded  of  the  candle-makers  that  they 
should  sell  him  candles  at  thirty  per  cent,  less  than  the  cost, 
that  he  might  speculate  on  them  by  sending  them  to  Con- 
stantinople, and  when  they  refused,  he  arrested  them  and 
made  them  sweep  the  streets  in  chains.* 

* One  of  them,  who  was  a Protestant,  made  his  escape,  fled  to  Mardin,  and 
there  preached  the  gospel,  like  the  persecuted  disciples  in  the  apostolic  age. 


FIRST  GENERAL  MEETING. 


313 


These  difficulties  seemed  to  demand  consultation.  Ac- 
cordingly a meeting  was  held  at  Mosul  — the  first  general 
meeting  of  the  Assyrian  Mission.  Mr.  Dunmore,  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walker,  of  Diarbekr,  arrived  at  Mosul  on  the 
morning  of  the  6th  of  March,  and  the  missionaries  held 
daily  meetings  for  business  and  for  devotional  exercises 
through  ten  successive  days,  at  the  same  time  enjoying 
such  social  and  Christian  intercourse  — with  psalms  and 
hymns  and  spiritual  songs,  talking  of  old  times  and  their 
old  home,  and  of  the  better  time  and  the  better  home 
that  awaited  them  — as  none  can  but  missionaries,  cer- 
tainly none  but  Christians  in  a strange  land.  The  subjects 
that  were  discussed,  and  the  conclusions  that  were  reached, 
need  not  be  specified.  They  made  arrangements  for  a 
similar  meeting  the  next  year,  and  assigned  subjects  for 
examination  during  the  interval.  The  Jews  and  the  Yezi- 
dees  were  referred  to  the  special  consideration  of  Dr. 
Lobdell ; but  he  was  never  to  report  on  it  — never  again 
to  enjoy  such  a reunion. 

It  was  thought  advisable  that  Mr.  Marsh  and  Dr.  Lob- 
dell should  return  with  Messrs.  Dunmore  and  Walker,  and 
reorganize  the  church  at  Diarbekr,  and,  if  possible,  estab- 
lish the  community  there  on  a better  foundation.  They 
left  Mosul  on  the  25tli  of  March.  Their  .general  course 
was  north-west.  The  first  three  days,  they  traveled  across 
the  desert,  a wide  plain  destitute  of  trees  and  running 
water,  but  at  this  season  covered  with  grass  and  flowers, 
once,  probably,  affording  sustenance  to  a numerous  and 
settled  population,  of  which  an  occasional  mound  gives 
evidence,  but  now  Avithout  a single  village  or  permanent 
habitation,  peopled  only  by  wandering  Arabs  and  Koords, 
with  their  flocks  and  herds  and  tents.  But  our  travelers 
were  without  fear,  as  they  marched  in  caravan  style  by 
day,  and  at  night  pitched  their  tents  near  some  nomadic 
camp,  or  beside  some  sluggish  pool ; for  they  were  guided 
by  two  sons  of  the  desert,  who  led  the  way  both  mounted 
27 


814 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


on  one  deloul , (dromedary,)  and  commended  tliem  to  the 
good  will  of  their  brethren ; and  they  were  further  pro- 
tected, in  the  most  dangerous  part  of  their  journey,  by  a 
guard  of  horsemen  from  the  city. 

On  the  fourth  day,  they  passed  Xisibin,  (the  ancient 
Hisibis,)  now  a mud  town,  with  a solitary  minaret,  and  a 
few  moldering  columns  and  arches  scattered  among  its 
miserable  hovels  or  in  the  plowed  fields  around,  to  tell  of 
better  days ; but  interesting  in  its  situation,  near  the 
sources  of  the  Chabour,  (the  river  Chebar  of  Ezekiel,)  and 
once  famous  as  the  site  of  that  truly  “ noble  ” theological 
school  of  the  Xestorians,  of  which  a Xorth  African  bishop 
of  the  sixth  century  speaks  with  wonder,  because  “the 
Holy  Scriptures  were  expounded  by  teachers  publicly 
appointed,  in  the  same  manner  as  grammar  and  rhetoric 
were  among  the  Romans.”  * The  fourth  night,  they 
pitched  their  tents  amid  the  melancholy  ruins  of  Dara  — 
fragments  of  walls,  and  gates,  and  arches,  and  temples  — 
immense  reservoirs,  with  remains  of  the  aqueducts  that 
brought  down  water  from  the  low  ranges  of  Jebel  Tour  — 
and  splendid  tombs,  carved  out  of  the  solid  rock,  with 
rich  architectural  forms  and  ornaments,  attesting  at  once 
the  utility  and  the  grandeur  of  Roman  civilization,  and 
bearing  witness  Avith  equal  explicitness  to  the  barbarism 
of  the  Turk.  The  imagination  of  Gibbon  was  enkindled, 
as  he  described  the  former  magnificence  of  this  city  and 
stronghold  of  the  Romans,  in  their  fierce  struggles  with 
the  Persians  on  the  remotest  eastern  border  of  their  em- 
pire. Dr.  Lobdell,  as  he  gazed  on  the  ruins,  especially  of 
the  aqueducts  and  roads  — those  most  characteristic  signs 
and  means  of  Roman  civilization  — was  struck  with  won- 
der at  the  grandeur  of  that  ancient  empire,  and  felt  that 
even  England  must  wait  long  before  she  would  arrive  at 
such  an  elevation,  and  probably  would  never  reach  it. 


*See  Nean&er’s  Church  History,  vol.  II.  p.  150.  Torrey’s  Ed. 


MARDIN. 


315 


Dara  is  live  hours  north-west  of  Nisibin.  After  six 
hours’  further  travel  in  the  same  direction  the  next  day, 
they  came  on  Saturday  evening  to  Mardin,  where  they 
spent  the  Sabbath,  “ receiving  numerous  calls  from  the 
Jacobites  and  Syrian  Catholics.  They  looked  on  us  with 
some  suspicion;  yet  they  evidently  thought  it  best  to 
investigate  somewhat  the  Protestant  faith.  May  the  light 
break  forth  speedily  in  that  city,  which,  though  6 set  on  a 
hill,’  gives  not  even  4 a dim  religious  light.’  W e might 
have  kept  further  west,  and  reached  Diarbekr  without 
crossing  the  mountain  ridges ; but  we  thought  it  desirable 
to  see  Mardin,  the  ecclesiastical  capital  of  the  Jacobites, 
especially  as  we  are  about  to  apply  to  the  Prudential  Com- 
mittee for  missionaries  to  be  stationed  there.  The  town 
is  built  on  the  summit  of  a ridge  of  Jebel  Tour,  in  a semi- 
circle, facing  the  great  Mesopotamian  plain  on  the  south ; 
the  houses  rise  in  the  bee-hive  style,  one  cell  above 
another ; and  what  a humming  there  is  in  the  hive ! An 
old  Saracenic  castle  rises  ruinous  yet  venerable,  like  an 
acropolis,  above  the  whole,  and,  guarded  by  half  a dozen 
cannon  and  a few  soldiers,  commands  the  town.  The 
castellated  rock  and  Saracenic  walls  and  mosks  con- 
trast strangely  with  the  rude  structures  now  inhabited  by 
Turks,  Koords,  Jacobites,  Syrian  Catholics,  Armenian 
Catholics,  and  Chaldeans.  Poverty  and  decay  are  written 
all  over  the  city.” 

There  was  nothing  particularly  worthy  of  note  on  the 
remainder  of  their  journey.  The  country  — the  Mesopota- 
mia of  the  Scriptures  — was  New-England-like  in  surface, 
though  of  course  without  New  England  villages  or  for- 
ests. They  suffered  much  from  the  rain  and  cold.  Two 
days  from  Mardin,  brought  them  to  feel  the  chilling  blasts 
from  Kara  Dagh,  of  which  they  had  so  distinct  a recollec- 
tion on  the  journey  from  Aleppo  to  Diarbekr;  and  on  the 
third  day,  about  noon,  the  minarets,  domes,  and  walls  of 


816 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


Diarbekr  rose  before  them  with  a splendor  which,  at  every 
new  view,  only  excited  increased  admiration. 

During  the  stay  of  the  brethren  from  Mosul,  the  church 
at  Diarbekr  was  organized  anew.  Out  of  twenty  candi- 
dates, whom  they  examined,  eleven  were  accepted,  who 
were  constituted  into  a church,  with  a creed  and  cove- 
nant, in  the  presence  of  three  hundred  persons.  Mean- 
while Dr.  Lobdell  was  almost  constantly  employed  in 
medical  practice  also,  having  a hundred  Christian  patients 
daily.  The  missionaries  were  still  stoned  and  hooted  at, 
every  time  they  went  into  the  streets ; but  the  gospel  had 
already  taken  such  a hold  on  the  city,  as  in  their  view  to 
insure  its  triumph.  The  infant  church  was  subject  to  a 
severe  trial  at  the  commencement  of  its  existence.  Mrs. 
Dunmore  could  not  live  in  the  city  in  the  summer.  She 
was  already  at  Arabkir,  and  it  now  became  necessary  for 
her  husband  to  join  her.  It  was  not  safe  to  leave  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Walker  alone.  The  brethren  from  Mosul  were  so 
situated  that  neither  of  them  could  be  away  from  their 
own  station.  In  fine,  it  was  reluctantly  decided  that  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Walker  should  go  to  Aintab  ; and  thus  the  little 
church  would  be  left  for  the  summer  entirely  in  the  hands 
of  native  helpers.  They  deplored  the  necessity.  They 
felt  deeply  the  want  of  reinforcements.  Dr.  Lobdell  was 
agitating  the  question  of  going  with  Mr.  Dunmore  to 
Arabkir,  to  advise  in  reference  to  Mrs.  Dunmore’s  further 
continuance  in  the  missionary  field,  when  he  was  sum- 
moned to  return  to  Mosul,  by  the  increasing  illness  of 
Mrs.  Williams.  He  returned  by  raft  down  the  Tigris. 
And  while  he  floated  down  the  river,  just  as  he  had  done 
two  years  before,  he  wrote  an  indefinite  number  of  letters 
to  his  friends,  corrected  several  mistakes  in  the  map  of 
Mr.  Wyld,  “ geographer  to  her  Majesty,  Queen  Victoria,” 
enjoyed  again  the  beautiful  and  the  grand  features  of  the 
more  familiar  but  not  less  interesting  landscape,  and 
arrived  in  Mosul  on  the  21st  of  April,  having  performed, 


LETTER  TO  MR.  CRANE. 


317 


in  three  days  and  a half,  the  distance  which  had  taken 
nine  days  in  the  journey  up  by  land,  and  having  been 
absent  from  home  about  a month. 

Of  the  friendly  and  familiar  letters  which  he  wrote  at 
this  time,  portions  of  two  are  subjoined.  They  illustrate 
his  friendly  and  affectionate  nature,  his  sympathy  with  the 
trials  and  afflictions  of  others,  and  his  desire  to  comfort 
them  with  the  consolation  wherewith  he  himself  was  com- 
forted, even  the  peace  of  God,  which  passeth  all  under- 
standing. The  first  is  to  his  Auburn  friend  and  brother, 
Mr.  Crane,  stationed  at  Gawar.  It  is  dated  at  Mosul, 
Jan.  4,  1854: 

Dear  Brother  Crane  : — It  pained  me  much  to  hear 
of  the  illness  of  our  dear  brother  Rhea ; but  we  get  some 
relief  in  the  hope  that  he  is  now  well  again  and  about  his 
customary  labors.  What  a place  is  Gawar  for  a sick 
American  in  mid  winter ! But  I am  glad  you  both  have 
some  knowledge  of  medicine.  You  see,  your  practice 
upon  natives  has  a reflex  benefit,  as  well  as  the  sending 
forth  of  missionaries. 

I should  judge  that  brother  Rhea’s  attack  was  very 
much  like  the  one  I had  about  the  same  time.  When 
Kallash  (the  messenger)  arrived,  I was  just  getting  out 
of  my  bed,  where  I had  been  for  nearly  a fortnight ; and 
I think  the  pleasant  notes  from  my  dear  brethren  over  the 
mountains  had  much  to  do  towards  my  restoration.  It  is 
almost  half  in  the  practice  of  medicine  to  keep  the  spirits 
up  — to  make  the  course  of  thought  flow  smoothly  on. 
And  I have  no  doubt,  that  the  consoling  influences  of  our 
Christian  faith  are  often  better  for  a diseased  body,  than 
all  the  calomel  and  opium  in  the  world. 

It  is  ours  to  cherish  this  faith  and  hope,  to  be  sup- 
ported by  them  in  our  hours  of  trial.  I doubt  not  you 
endure  your  separation  from  your  wife,  in  these  times  of 
peril,  far  more  easily  from  your  trust  in  God,  and  from  a 
27* 


318 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


conviction  that  it  is  his  will.  Oh,  what  a peace  of  mind 
— a peace  passing  the  limits  of  the  understanding  — does 
a true  faith  in  an  omnipresent  and  loving  God  afford  those 
who  are  in  danger  and  doubt ! Give  me  this  peace,  and 
the  world  may  have  its  gold  and  its  baubles.  I want  it 
when  I am  lying  on  a sick-bed  here  among  the  ashes  of 
Nineveh,  not  knowing  what  is  to  become  of  wife  and 
babes  — I want  it  when  fierce  Koords  point  their  guns  at 
my  bosom  and  seize  their  daggers  with  murder  in  their 
eyes  — I want  it  in  perils  by  sea  and  by  land  — and  at  all 
times  I want  it  — God’s  best  gift  to  man. 

The  other  letter  is  to  Dr.  Perkins,  the  memory  of  whose 
more  than  brotherly  kindness  was  still  fresh  and  fragrant 
in  his  heart.  It  is  dated,  Mosul,  Feb.  6,  1854: 

Dear  Brother: — Your  full  letter  of  Jan.  14th  con- 
tained many  interesting  thoughts,  and  I regret  that  I have 
too  little  time  to  give  it  such  a reply  as  it  deserves.  But 
you  will  “ take  the  will  for  the  deed,”  and  allow  me  to 
hurry  through  my  note,  that  I may  this  evening  answer 
the  letters  of  my  other  correspondents  in  your  quarter. 
Somehow,  I feel  a sort  of  filial  obligation  to  give  my  first 
attention  to  your  letters  ; I can  not  drive  from  my  mind, 
if  I would,  the  thought  of  your  paternal  care  of  me,  while 
lodging  under  your  roof.  And  when  I speak  of  filial  obli- 
gations, I want  your  good  wife  to  understand,  that  she 
comes  in  for  a share.  The  Lord  bless  and  comfort  you 
both,  as  you  go  on  your  pilgrimage.  Your  allusion  to  the 
probability  of  Henry’s  having  a feeble  hold  on  life,  makes 
me  deeply  interested  in  him,  and  I shall  not  forget  him  in 
my  poor  prayers.  Should  he  also  lead  your  way  to  heaven, 
what  could  make  you  wish  to  linger  longer  “here  ? Surely 
if  one’s  treasures  are  all  in  heaven,  his  heart  will  be  there 
also. 

I thank  you  for  sending  me  that  pleasant  note  of  Mrs. 


LETTER  TO  DR.  PERKINS. 


319 


Sigourney’s,  with  her  beautiful  lines — “ Judith  Grant 
Perkins.”  How  delightful  for  you  to  think  of  her,  as 

“ Where  by  the  River  of  the  Blest, 

Your  ‘Persian  Flower’  will  fade  no  more.’7 

My  little  ones  are  both  now  suffering  with  severe  colds, 
and  the  thought  of  the  possibility  of  either  of  them  being 
taken  away,  chastens  the  joys  which  I feel  in  their  presence 
and  smiles.  But  here  too  we  may  profitably  trust . I 
believe  I have  a great  affection  for  children,  and  it  often 
cheers  me  to  think  of  the  little  ones  in  your  circle.  I 
wonder  if  some  of  them  can  not  be  induced  to  pray  daily 
for  our  little  Mary,  if  I will  promise  them  that  Mary  shall 
pray  for  them  ? Suppose  I make  such  an  arrangement 
with  Henry,  and  begin  before  his  assent  comes!  I think 
it  does  children  good  to  think  of  others  whom  they  have 
never  seen  even,  as  interested  in  them.  Mr.  Stern’s  Kitty, 
who  was  in  Mosul  a few  days  last  winter,  has  not  yet 
passed  from  Mary’s  mind ; and  I suppose  Katy  Cochran 
still  remembers  the  burial  of  her  dear  Judith. 

Our  readers  will  not  ask  any  apology  for  this  beautiful 
picture  of  domestic  tenderness,  with  its  mingled  sorrows 
and  joys,  in  the  life  of  earnest  and  whole-souled  mission- 
aries. Parents  and  children  both,  we  are  sure,  will  admire 
it ; we  trust  they  will  also  learn  from  it  some  valuable 
lessons  of  parental  duty  and  early  piety. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Riots  at  Mosul  — Intercourse  with  Mosul  Dignitaries  — The  Cadi  — The  Kai- 
makam  — Yiehye  Effendi  — The  Prince  of  the  Scholars  — The  Prince  of  the 
Merchants  — The  Pasha  — Death  of  Yiehye  Effendi  and  Moollah  Yussuf 

— Burial  Rites  — Moslem  Bigotry  — Journey  with  Mrs.  Williams  for  her 
Health  — Akra  — Paradise  — Morality  no  part  of  Religion  — Dr.  Bacon 

— Rural  Scene  — Increased  Illness  of  Mrs.  Williams  — Death  — Return  to 
Mosul  — Sickness  of  Mr.  Williams  — Death  again  in  the  Missionary  Circle 

— Death  of  Friends  in  America — Of  Mr.  Crane  — Missionary  Work  — 
Plot  for  an  Insurrection  — Letter  to  the  Tribune  in  Defence  of  Missions  — 
To  the  Society  of  Inquiry  at  Andover  — Anti-Slavery  Circular — Notes  on 
Xenophon’s  Anabasis  — Contributions  to  the  American  Oriental  Society — 
Letters  of  Professors  Salisbury  and  Whitney  — Theology. 


In  the  summer  of  1854,  Mosul  was  disturbed  by  more 
than  one  attempt  at  riot  and  insurrection,  proceeding 
partly  from  political  and  partly  from  religious  motives. 
The  war  which  involved  the  fate  not  of  the  empire  only, 
but  perhaps  of  Islam  itself,  excited  the  fanatical  passions 
of  the  people  ; and  troops  which  were  enlisted  for  the 
service  of  the  Sultan,  in  the  remotest  provinces  of  his 
dominions,  seized  on  every  opportunity  for  plunder  and 
acts  of  violence.  Some  two  thousand  Koords  from  Akra 
and  its  vicinity,  finding  themselves  together  in  Mosul,  with 
arms  in  their  hands,  and  further  incited  by  Moslems  in  the 
city,  began  to  insult  the  Christians,  wherever  they  met 
them  in  the  streets.  They  tore  off  the  white  kerchiefs  of 
the  Jews  and  native  Christians.  They  met  Dr.  Lobdell, 
and  cried,  “Ho,  Franjee,  (Frank,)  let  us  kill  him.”  The 
Greeks,  whom  they  called  Russians,  were  especially  obnox- 
ious to  their  ferocious  assaults.  Even  Moslems  were  not 
exempt  from  their  insults.  They  shot  at  one,  pierced 
another  with  a dagger,  entered  private  houses  for  plunder 


K00RDISII  SOLDIERS. 


321 


and  for  worse  purposes,  till  there  was  no  safety  either  in 
going  abroad  or  staying  at  home.  At  length  the  English 
Consul,  followed  by  nearly  a hundred  Christians,  went  to 
the  palace,  (the  Koords  bring  over  their  heads  as  they 
went,)  and  told  the  pasha  that  unless  he  ordered  the 
Koords  out  of  town  at  once,  he,  the  consul,  would  start 
forthwith  for  Constantinople  ; that  then,  in  two  hours,  the 
Christians  would  be  massacred,  and  their  blood  would  be 
on  the  pasha’s  head ; whereas,  if  he  would  act  energet- 
ically, he  would  put  a tall  feather  in  his  cap  at  the  capital. 
Moved  by  mingled  threats  and  flatteries,  the  pasha  sent 
for  Ressoul  Pasha,  (commander  of  these  Koordish  recruits,) 
and  ordered  him  to  have  some  forty-five  of  his  men  bas- 
tinadoed. The  order  was  executed,  the  blows  being  laid 
upon  the  backs  and  not  upon  the  feet  of  the  victims ; and 
then  the  whole  body  were  marched  out  of  the  city  with 
their  guns  and  jugs  and  plunder,  and  soon  sent  on  their 
way  to  the  seat  of  the  war.  Some  days  elapsed  before 
the  city  was  quieted,  and  the  Christians  relieved  of  their 
apprehensions.  There  were  still  rumors  of  aft  intended 
insurrection  among  the  Moslems.  “The  Christians  — 
women  especially  — are  in  great  terror.  F ew  go  into  the 
streets.  The  pasha  peregrinates  the  city  in  a mask.  Spies 
are  out.  Squads  of  soldiers  are  on  the  watch.  The  sol- 
diers themselves  are  not  to  be  trusted,  as  they  belong  to 
the  town.  Rassam’s  horse  fell  with  him  to-day,  to  the 
great  joy  of  the  Moslems  standing  around;  they  deem  it 
an  omen.”  Before  the  close  of  the  summer,  we  shall  see 
how  they  further  plotted  for  the  fulfillment  of  the  omen 
in  the  death  of  the  consul,  and  the  massacre  of  the  entire 
Christian  population. 

After  this  riot,  Dr.  Lobdell  saw  more  than  usual  of  the 
Turkish  dignitaries.  Among  others,  he  called  on  his  old 
^acquaintance,  the  Cadi.  “ He  showed  me  a fine  Persian 
manuscript,  ornamented  with  gilt  and  Cube.  Tea  was 
passed.  He  gave  me  a long  history  of  his  sickness,  and 


322 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


his  refusal  to  take  medicines  prescribed  by  his  physicians ; 
and  was  horrified  at  my  proposal  that  he  should  take  a 
little  wine  in  his  weakness.  I told  him  that  if  the  greatest 
man  in  our  country  refused  to  take  the  medicine  ordered 
by  a physician,  the  doctor  would  have  nothing  to  do  with 
him,  and  that  this  was  my  rule  in  Mosul ! He  thanked 
me  for  my  advice,  and  I left.  Met  Koords  and  Aghas  of 
the  town  on  my  way  home  — all  sullen.  Still  the  aristoc- 
racy affect  to  oppose  the  fanatics.  Sheriff  Bey  and  the 
Cadi  himself  are  thought  to  be  favorable  to  the  rioters.” 

The  next  day,  May  6th,  he  received  a call  from  the 
commander  of  the  troops,  the  Kaimakam  or  Colonel,  and 
his  doctor.  “ Prescribed  for  him,  and  then  talked  of  the 
state  of  the  town.  The  Colonel  admitted  that  he  and  the 
other  officials  were  greatly  afraid  of  the  insurgents ; but 
he  thinks  the  danger  is  over.  I do  not.  Ramadan  is  just 

at  hand Visited  Yiehye  Effendi,  one  of  the  fallen 

aristocracy,  now  sick  — my  warm  friend,  and  one  of  whom 
I am  not  ashamed.  May  I strive  more  and  more  for  his 
salvation.  He  is  intelligent,  honest,  and  inquiring.  Met 
Abd  Allah  Effendi,  the  most  learned  man  of  the  town. 
Refused  to  prescribe  for  a man  brought  near  to  death 
under  the  care  of  the  phlebotomizing  padres.  The  prac- 
tice of  bleeding  every  body  was  introduced  here  by  the 
Italian  quacks,  and  now  it  is  the  great  specific.  I seldom 
bleed,  even  in  this  hot  climate.” 

“ Seyid  Shahab  asks  me  if  Latin  is  my  vernacular,  and 
if  the  characters  are  the  same  as  the  English.  He  was 
greatly  indignant  when  I read  from  Ockley’s  History 
of  the  Saracens,  on  native  authority,  that  Mohammed 
acknowledged  his  inferiority  to  Christ  by  praying  to 
him,  whereas  the  other  prophets  prayed  to  Mohammed 
himself.” 

“May  12th.  Hussein  Chelebi  ibn  Haj  Murad,  the  prince* 
of  the  merchants  of  Mosul,  called.  One  of  his  attendants 
told  me  that  his  horse  was  the  best  one  this  side  of  heaven ! 


VISIT  TO  TIIE  PASHA. 


323 


Neither  lie  nor  his  companions  could  get  much  idea  of  my 
big  maps.  A Yankee  boy  of  six  years  knows  more  about 
the  world,  than  the  most  learned  man  in  Mosul.  It  is 
interesting  to  see  the  great  men  here  display  what  knowl- 
edge they  have  to  one  another,  and  yet  all  ‘cave  in  ’ to  us : 
‘they  are  Franjee — they  know  every  thing.’  This  Hus- 
sein has  never  seen  the  Koyunjik  excavations  — a very 
learned  man ! 

“ May  25.  Accompanied  Jeremiah  to  the  pasha’s  palace. 
At  first,  went  to  the  vice-pasha’s.  His  barber  was  trim- 
ming him  down.  He  is  a proud,  fine-looking  fellow ; was 
dressed  in  gay  colors,  having  on  a green  toga,  lined  with 
light-colored  fur.  The  chief  scribe  forgot  his  anger  at  me 
for  not  seeing  him  when  sick  a year  and  a half  ago.  Coffee 
without  sugar.  Talk. 

“ Thence  went  to  the  reception  room  of  the  pasha.  The 
deftardar  (treasurer)  was  in.  Both  received  us  pleasantly, 
and  I had  a very  interesting  conversation  with  the  pasha 
respecting  our  work  here,  our  motives,  and  our  general 
arrangements,  and  the  state  of  Tel  Keif.  He  says,  that 
if  a few  men  will  come  to  him  from  that  place,  and  say 
they  want  a teacher  from  us,  they  shall  be  protected ; but 
Kos  Michael  can  not  go,  as  the  Sultan  forbids  it.  I was 
surprised  at  the  cordiality  of  the  pasha,  and  was  glad  to 
make  him  acquainted  with  our  faith.  Next  went  to  the 
Kaimakam’s  (Colonel’s).  Sherbet  and  coffee.  Pleasant 
chat;  saw  sick  men;  examined  Jewish  doctor’s  medi- 
cines — left,  glad  I had  gone  to  see  the  dignitaries,  as  they 
had  sent  for  me.  The  pasha  evidently  has  a desire  to  cul- 
tivate our  friendship.  I think  it  is  well  to  be  on  good 
terms  with  him.” 

Dr.  Lobdell  was  soon  called  to  mourn  the  death  of  his 
Mussulman  “ friend,”  Yiehye  Effendi,  without  any  satisfac- 
tory hope  that  he  was  a believer  in  Jesus.  The  Koran 
was  read  through,  or  rather  rehearsed  entire,  every  day 
for  three  days,  at  the  mosk  nearest  his  house,  by  four  or 


324  MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 

five  blind  men,  the  Oriental  representatives  of  the  blind 
rhapsodists  of  ancient  Greece.  The  body  was  wrapped 
from  head  to  foot  in  wide  sheeting,  laid  in  the  shallow 
grave  on  the  right  side,  with  the  face  looking  towards 
Mecca,  and  then,  without  any  coffin,  covered  with  flat 
stones ; and  the  Moslems  thought  little  more  of  the 
matter,  but  Dr.  Lobdell  could  not  help  asking,  with  deep 
solicitude,  Where  is  his  soul  ? 

A few  days  after,  Moollah  Yusuf,  the  once  Christian 
priest,  whose  conversion  by  violence  has  been  narrated  in 
a former  chapter,  sent  for  the  doctor  to  come  and  see  him ; 
but  he  was  prevented  from  going.  The  next  day,  he 
heard  that  the  poor  Moollah  was  dead. 

The  following  incident  illustrates  the  bigotry  of  the 
Moslems  : “ Yezdinshir  Bey,  nephew  of  Beder  Khan  Bey, 
called.  I showed  him  a printed  copy  of  the  Koran.  He 
said  I must  not  read  it ! This  was  a Moslem  book.  It 
did  not  belong  to  a Christian.  I was  reminded  of  the 
man  who  snatched  a copy  from  my  hand  while  at  a book- 
stall in  Tabreez.  This  bey  went  on  to  say  how  united 
the  Moslems  are,  and  always  have  been,  and  how  the 
Christians  are  split  into  sects.  I spoke  of  the  Persian 
Shiihs ; but  he  said,  we  do  not  recognize  them  as  Mos- 
lems ; they  do  not  receive  the  Koran  as  it  is.  I told  him, 
they  pretend  to,  which  is  the  case  with  many  who  call 
themselves  Christians  ; but  they  only  are  true  Christians, 
who  receive  the  Bible  as  it  is.  This  argument  he  could 
appreciate.” 

Ever  since  Dr.  Lobdell’s  recall  from  Diarbekr  on  her 
account,  Mrs.  Williams  had  been  oscillating  between  the 
hope  of  recovery  and  the  fear  of  a decline.  But  as  the 
summer  advanced,  the  symptoms  grew  more  unfavorable, 
and  it  became  apparent  that  she  could  not  long  endure 
the  excessive  heat  of  Mosul.  Neither  did  there  seem  to 
be  any  considerable  prospect  of  her  safe  removal  to  a 
cooler  climate.  Still  she  was  very  anxious  to  try  the 


JOURNEY  TO  MOUNTAINS  WITH  MRS.  WILLIAMS.  325 


experiment,  and  the  Doctor,  though  with  great  misgivings, 
yielded  to  her  request,  and  accompanied  his  patient,  with 
her  husband  and  children,  on  a journey  to  the  mountains, 
with  the  expectation,  if  she  should  be  found  to  endure  the 
journey,  that  Dr.  Wright  would  meet  the  party  there, 
and,  taking  Dr.  Lobdell’s  place,  conduct  them  to  Oroo- 
miah.  Mrs.  Williams,  the  nurse,  and  baby,  were  put  into 
covered  frames  with  seats,  which  being  bound  to  the  sides 
of  a mule,  furnished  a tolerably  comfortable  carriage,  as 
well  as  protection  from  the  morning  and  evening  sun. 
The  two  eldest  children,  (a  little  boy  and  girl),  rode  in  a 
pair  of  baskets,  pannier-like,  on  a mule’s  back.  The  fam- 
ily, the  physician,  the  interpreter,  and  the  baggage,  made 
up  a train  of  a dozen  animals,  besides  the  guards,  that 
accompanied  them.  They  left  Mosul  on  the  evening  of 
the  13  th  of  June,  crossed  the  Tigris  on  the  high-pro  wed 
ferry  boats,  whose  form  has  come  down  unchanged  from 
the  days  of  Sennacherib,  and  at  the  request  of  Capt.  Lof- 
tus,  who  was  now  excavating  there,  in  the  employ  of 
the  Assyrian  Society,  passed  the  first  night  on  the  mound 
of  Koyunjik.  The  next  morning  they  started  across  the 
ruins  of  Nineveh,  while  the  sun  was  yet  hid  behind  the 
peaks  of  Koordistan.  It  was  the  same  month,  and  the 
same  day  of  the  month,  on  which  Dr.  Lobdell  had 
set  out,  the  year  before,  on  his  tour  to  Oroomiah. 
And  they  traveled  amid  the  same  rustic  scenes  which 
he  then  described,  — peasants  reaping  and  threshing 
their  grain,  women  winnowing  and  grinding  it,  shep- 
herds watching  their  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats,  — with 
now  and  then  a mound  marking  the  site  of  an  ancient 
town,  perchance,  also,  of  a modern  village.  They  passed 
on,  as  rapidly  as  the  invalid  could  bear,  for  three  days,  or 
rather  three  nights,  for  they  could  not  travel  at  all  in  the 
heat  of  the  day,  till  they  came  to  Akra,  a Koordish  town, 
about  sixty  miles  from  Mosul,  and  in  a direction  a little 
north  of  east,  where  the  cool  air  of  the  mountains  strives 
28 


326 


MEMOIR  OF  LOEDELL. 


almost  in  vain  to  neutralize  the  heat  of  the  plain.  There, 
on  the  borders  of  the  territory  of  the  ancient  Carduchi, 
they  were  detained  ten  days,  Mrs.  Williams  not  being  in 
a condition  to  travel.  “ The  town  is  built  on  the  south 
side  of  a cliff  belonging  to  the  Koordish  range  forming  the 
eastern  boundary  of  the  jDlain  of  Navkoor,  through  which 
pass  the  Gomel  (Gaugamela)  and  Khazir  rivers,  the  two 
uniting  at  a point  visible  from  the  town,  to  form  the 
Bumadus.  By  means  of  the  small  streams  gushing  out 
of  the  mountain,  the  vales  between  the  ridges  are  thor- 
oughly irrigated,  and  the  gardens  are  pictures  of  loveli- 
ness,— the  Oriental  paradises  are  always  gardens  filled 
with  fruit-bearing  trees.  I noticed  at  Akra  the  mulberry, 
plum,  olive,  pear,  apple,  English  walnut,  apricot,  pome- 
granate, and  fig ; grapes  also  are  produced  in  abundance.” 
It  is  from  this  very  region,  — ancient  Persia,  — that  we 
derive  the  word  paradise,  and  it  is  from  such  scenes  of 
almost  unearthly  beauty  and  loveliness,  where,  under  the 
combined  influence  of  a tropical  sun  and  an  abundant 
sujDply  of  water,  flowers  bloom  and  fruits  ripen  perpetu- 
ally, amid  rugged  mountains  and  barren  deserts,  — it  is 
from  such  scenes  that  the  sacred  writers  have  borrowed 
the  imagery  by  which  they  would  fain  give  us  some  faint 
conception  of  the  Paradise  of  God,  as  contrasted  with  the 
roughness  and  barrenness  of  the  present  life. 

But  like  Sheikh  Laui,  which  he  visited  the  previous 
year,  this  was  “ Paradise  Lost.”  The  Koords  are  bigoted 
Mohammedans,  and  ferocious  tyrants.  The  Jews  and 
Christians  are  ignorant  and  suj)erstitious  slaves,  and 
afforded  ample  room  for  philanthropic  and  missionary 
labor,  whenever  the  Doctor  could  be  spared  from  attend- 
ance on  the  suffering  invalid.  They  were  frightened 
beyond  measure,  when  he  asked  to  see  an  amulet  which 
was  worn  on  the  neck  of  a young  Koord,  and  finding  it  to 
be  a neat  little  volume  of  extracts  from  the  Koran,  pre- 
sumed to  read  aloud  from  the  book  in  the  presence  of  the 


CORRUPT  CHRISTIANITY. 


327 


Koords.  Had  a native  Christian  clone  the  same,  his  head 
would  have  paid  the  penalty.  Their  religion,  consisting 
almost  exclusively  of  a few  external  rites  and  ceremonies, 
is  at  an  equal  remove  from  evangelical  faith  and  from 
genuine  good  works.  Morality  has  nothing  to  do  with  it, 
and  the  virtues  that  should  adorn  the  Christian  character, 
are  deemed  quite  impracticable.  “ Do  you  love  that  man 
by  your  side?”  said  Dr.  Lobdell,  one  day,  to  a Jacobite. 
“ I love  him  with  my  face,”  he  replied,  “ not  with  my 
heart.”  When  asked  if  they  ever  lied,  they  invariably 
answered  by  asking,  “ Is  there  a man  living  who  does  not 
lie  ? ” A Syrian  proved  that  he  was  not  destitute  of 
faith,  by  relating  a preposterous  popish  miracle  of  recent 
occurrence,  and  declaring  that  he  believed  it.  Another 
was  sure  he  was  not  a drunkard,  for,  “not  that  which 
goeth  into  the  mouth  defileth  a man,  but  that  which  com- 
eth  out  of  the  mouth,  this  defileth  a man ; ” and  he  did 
not  drink  enough  for  that,  — he  did  not  drink  more  than 
ten  cups  of  arrack  a day ! Strong  drink  is  distilled  from 
raisins,  by  a rude  and  simple  domestic  process ; so  that 
almost  every  house  is  a distillery.  And  drunkenness  is  so 
common  among  the  poor  Christians  of  Akra,  that  the 
Moslems  define  a Christian  to  be,  “ one  who  drinks  rum, 
and  calls  Esa  (Jesus)  the  Son  of  God  ” The  fact  that 
the  Protestants  in  Turkey  are  temperance  men,  Dr.  Lob- 
dell remarks  in  this  connection,  does  as  much  to  conciliate 
the  Moslems,  as  the  fact  that  they  do  not  bow  to  pictures 
and  worship  more  than  one  God.  The  Jacobite  priest 
apologized  for  the  vices  of  the  people  by  their  poverty, 
and  for  their  ignorance  by  the  fact  that  he  was  poor,  and 
had  no  time  to  instruct  them.  The  church  is  a cavern 
high  up  among  the  rocks  above  the  town,  unlighted  by 
the  sun,  and  constantly  damp  by  the  dripping  of  the 
water.  Its  chief  treasures  are  a few  Syriac  and  Carshuni  * 


Arabic  in  Syriac  characters. 


328 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


manuscripts,  containing  the  church  service,  and  the  sacred 
dust  of  unknown  generations  of  their  fathers,  whose 
bodies  the  Koords  will  not  allow  them  to  bury  any  where 
outside  the  walls  of  the  churchyard. 

Dr.  Lobdell’s  compassion  was  much  excited  in  behalf 
of  these  poor  and  oppressed  Christians,  and  he  did 
what  he  could,  in  frequent  interviews  with  the  priests  and 
the  people,  to  give  them  clearer  and  more  correct  ideas  of 
the  religion  of  the  Bible. 

“ There  are  six  hundred  houses  in  the  place.  Sixteen 
are  Jacobite,  sixteen  Chaldean,  forty  Jewish,  the  remain- 
der Koordish.  The  governor  is  a Koord,  — the  rival  of 
Mustapha  Aglia,  of  Zibar,  who  wrote  the  letter  to  Khan 
Afdal,  to  procure  the  murder  of  Dr.  Bacon  and  his  com- 
panions, three  years  ago.  The  moollah,  who  saved  their 
lives,  is  still  regarded  with  great  veneration,  for  his  sanc- 
tity, which  is  said  to  be  unequalled  by  any  of  the  moun- 
taineers. Their  escape  seems  to  me  almost  miraculous.” 

But  we  must  return  to  the  tent,  which  our  travelers, 
after  having  slept  the  first  night  in  the  street,  pitched  the 
next  day  (Saturday)  among  the  rocks  and  trees  by  a 
running  brook,  near  the  town,  expecting  to  spend  the 
Sabbath  only,  and  then  to  continue  their  journey.  But 
Mrs.  Williams  was  taken  worse,  and  brought  nigh  unto 
death  ; the  children  also  were  afflicted  with  ophthalmia 
in  a severe  form.  There  was  a sunny  as  well  as  a shady 
side  to  the  picture  of  their  situation,  as  Dr.  Lobdell 
sketched  it  to  his  mother,  when  Mrs.  W.  was  some  better. 
Had  he  been  alone  — could  he  have  forgotten  his  almost 
dying  sister,  his  afflicted  brother,  and  their  suffering  chil- 
dren— he  would  greatly  have  enjoyed  the  place.  “The 
air  is  so  balmy  at  night,  that  I sleep  under  a spreading 
mulberry,  which  occasionally  drops  its  white  fruit  upon 
my  bed,  and  sometimes  into  my  mouth.  Three  times  a 
day  I have  access  to  a table  spread  Avith  bread,  honey, 
cake,  rice,  tea,  cobdb , smead , lebn>  mulberries,  apricots, 


DEATH  OF  MRS.  WILLIAMS. 


329 


and  a kind  of  plum.  At  evening,  numerous  Christians 
come  for  conversation  on  Protestantism,  and  European 
art  and  science.  The  seeds  of  truth  are  sown,  and  prom- 
ise, even  on  this  hard  soil,  to  bear  fruit.  Daily  I prescribe 
for  sick  Ivoords  and  Christians,  and  receive  their  benedic- 
tions. While  not  asleep,  I can  gaze  upon  the  pomegran- 
ate bushes,  hung  with  scarlet  flowers  and  green  fruit; 
upon  the  spreading  fig-trees,  whose  light-colored  branches 
remind  one  of  a fat  baby’s  arms,  the  green  fruit  sucking 
up  the  milky  sap,  and  the  great  leaves  recalling  the  aprons 
of  Adam  and  Eve  in  the  garden  of  God ; upon  the  vines 
that  run  luxuriantly  from  tree  to  tree,  and  their  pendent 
clusters ; upon  the  large  fresh  walnut-trees,  with  their 
round  balls  of  fruit ; deep  green  olives ; bushy  plums ; 
apple-like  apricot  trees,  and  small  apple  orchards  — a 
paradise  like  those  you  fancy  to  exist  in  the  tropics, 
where  birds  sing,  human  voices  echo,  brooks  murmur,  and 
every  man  sits  under  his  own  vine  and  fig-tree.” 

But  in  the  tent  near  by,  was  the  sick  mother,  stretched 
upon  a bed  on  the  ground,  not  knowing  but  it  was  to  be 
her  dying  bed,  the  anxious  husband  hanging  over  her 
and  ministering  to  her,  and  the  distressed  children  gath- 
ering around  her  — the  thermometer,  hanging  from  a 
pomegranate  branch  in  the  tent,  indicates,  at  two  in  the 
afternoon,  a temperature  of  from  87°  to  93°,  and  the 
patient’s  pulse,  as  the  doctor  anxiously  feels  it,  counts 
from  a hundred  to  a hundred  and  twenty.  It  was 
not  till  Tuesday,  the  27th  of  June,  that  they  moved 
onward,  and  that  with  little  or  no  hope  that  Mrs.  W. 
would  ever  reach  Oroomiah.  The  rest  is  briefly  told  in 
the  words  of  Dr.  Lobdell:  “We  went  eastward  a 
few  hours,  and  all  slejDt  on  our  quilts  sjwead  upon  the 
ground  under  the  clear  sky.  The  next  morning,  we  came 
to  Kapusa,  a dirty  village  of  Koorcls,  which  had  been 
deserted  by  the  people  on  account  of  the  fleas.  We  spent 
the  heat  of  the  day  under  a mulberry  tree,  and  left  at 
28* 


330 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


evening,  while  the  mercury  in  the  shade  stood  at  102°. 
On  over  a rolling  country,  amid  shrubs  and  rocks,  we 
rode  an  hour  and  a half,  arriving  at  a miserable  village, 
(Kallate),  where  the  invalid  thought  she  was  to  die.  We 
slept  upon  a roof,  and  the  next  day  welcomed  Dr.  Wright 
from  Persia.  We  could  go  no  farther,  and  on  the  29th, 
at  sunset,  were  on  our  way  back  towards  Mosul,  our  sick 
friend  being  anxious  to  go  there  to  die,  but  most  of  the 
time  unconscious  of  the  incidents  and  fatigues  of  the  way. 
On  the  last  day  of  J une,  we  reached  Akra  again ; a litter 
was  made,  twelve  Christians  bore  it,  and  the  next  morn- 
ing at  six  o’clock,  while  moving  on  the  road,  that  litter 
became  a bier ! An  hour  farther,  and  a rough  box  was 
made  ready  for  her  we  had  loved.  The  children  knew 
not  what  had  happened.  At  evening,  the  box  was  bound 
upon  a mule ; we  rode  silently  without  stopping  for  four- 
teen hours,  and  recrossed  the  city  of  Nineveh  shortly 
after  sunrise.  The  flag  of  the  English  consul  was  thrown 
over  the  body  as  we  crossed  the  Tigris.  A narrow  house 
had  already  been  prepared  for  it  outside  the  walls,  (not 
even  the  dead  body  of  a Moslem  could  have  been  carried 
within  the  gates) ; Mr.  Marsh  had  a short  service ; and 
there  we  laid  the  wife,  the  mother,  down  to  her  last  sleep. 
The  Lord  watch  over  that  dust,  and  bring  it  again  to  life. 
Such  is  our  pilgrimage  ; but  we  journey  home  to  God.” 

Worn  out  with  watching  and  sorrow,  Mr.  Williams 
was  soon  laid  upon  a bed  of  severe  sickness,  and  the  care 
of  him  and  his  motherless  children  devolved  on  the  other 
two  missionary  families.  Meanwhile,  the  first-born  child 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marsh,  a few  days  after  it  had  seen  the 
light,  was  committed  to  the  earth  by  the  side  of  Mrs. 
Williams.  None  but  a missionary  physician  can  fully 
understand  the  weight  of  care  and  anxiety  which  thus 
fell  upon  Dr.  Lobdell,  who,  from  the  very  nature  of  his 
united  professions,  always  bore  a double  load  of  duties 
and  responsibilities.  He  thus  writes  on  the  subject  to  his 


REPEATED  AFFLICTIONS. 


331 


brother  physician  at  Oroomiah,  in  a letter  dated  Mosul, 
Aug.  1st,  1854 : 

“ Again  I must  write  the  word  death!  An  hour 
since,  the  breath  of  mortal  life  heaved  for  the  last 
time  the  little  lungs  of  the  sweet  babe  that  God  gave 
our  brother  and  sister  Marsh  twelve  days  ago ; now  he 
rejoiceth  in  the  freedom  and  the  glory  of  immortality. 
Again  let  us  say,  ‘The  Lord  gave  and  the  Lord  hath 
taken  away:  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord.’  You 
will  be  glad  to  know  that  the  afflicted  parents  feel  a 
sweet  and  peaceful  resignation  under  this  blow  — I may 
almost  say  they  rejoice  under  it,  for  the  little  one  had 
suffered  so  much  for  three  days,  that  it  was  a relief  to 
their  minds  to  know  that  his  spirit  had  passed  gently 
away,  as  my  wife  was  bending  over  his  little  pillow. 
Thus  it  is,  our  merciful  Father  prepares  us  for  afflictions. 
He  gives  us  strength  sufficient  for  our  day.  With  the 
announcement  of  this  sad  event,  which,  however,  produces 
joy  among  the  ministering  angels,  I can  say  a word  of 
encouragement  in  regard  to  Mr.  Williams.  Lie  is  quite 
relieved  from  pain,  is  sitting  up,  and,  I think,  is  likely  to 
conquer  the  fever  that  has  been  upon  him  in  an  inter- 
mittent form,  every  day  for  ten  days.  The  seat  of  his 
trouble  was  his  head ; and  the  paroxysms  were  so 
violent  at  times  as  to  excite  fears  of  the  brain  becoming 
seriously  affected.  What  a weight  of  responsibility  is 
thrown  on  one  who  has  to  direct  in  these  cases  of  serious 
sickness ! Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things,  as  well  as 
for  preaching  the  gospel  ? During  the  sickness  of  Mr.  Wil- 
liams, I have  had  four,  instead  of  two,  preaching  services 
during  the  week,  besides  the  writing  of  from  forty  to 
eighty  prescriptions  daily ; and  all  this  in  a semi-under- 
ground room,  where  the  air  gets  quite  polluted  during  the 
examination  of  so  many  dirty  patients,  having  every 
variety  of  disease.  I have  never  had  better  health,  how- 
ever than  now.  Of  course,  the  want  of  invigorating 


332 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


exercise  is  felt ; but  by  sleeping  in  mid-heaven,  so  to  call 
the  pinnacle  of  my  palace,  which  overlooks  nearly  the 
whole  city,  the  Tigris,  the  ruins  of  Nineveh,  and  the  wide 
sweeping  plain  to  the  west,  I feel  every  morning  quite 
strengthened  for  the  day’s  labors.  How  much  I have 
said  about  our  bodies!  Well,  without  bodies,  what  are 
we  good  for  in  this  fleshly  world  ? Mens  sana  in  coipore 
sano  — this  we  must  have,  if  we  shall  do  any  thing  for 
our  Master.  We  are  warned,  too,  that  what  we  do  must 
be  done  quickly,  with  our  might.  But  how  little  might 
we  have!  We  will  trust  that  in  our  weakness  is  our 
strength.  It  is  only  when  we  feel  how  weak  we  are,  that 
we  go  to  him  who  is  omnipotent,  and  pray  for  power.” 

It  was  not  long  before,  that  he  had  heard  of  the  death 
of  a college  classmate  and  intimate  friend.  Of  this  and 
previous  bereavements,  the  sorrow  of  which  was  renewed 
by  this,  he  thus  writes  in  his  journal:  “Peek,  my  dear 
brother,  classmate,  chum,  is  dead.  Oh,  what  a blow! 
Blessed  be  God,  that  I may  hojDe  to  meet  him  in  heaven, 
and  again  rejoice  with  him.  He  seems  to  have  made  a 
strong  impression  wherever  he  preached.  I do  not 
believe  he  now  regrets  not  having  studied  law.  He,  his 
wife,  and  Poland  gone  from  the  little  circle  of  united 
hearts!  Well,  I am  glad  for  the  sake  of  the  cause  of 
missions,  that  it  is  not  L.  and  I that  have  gone  so  soon ; 
for  then  all  would  have  said,  it  was  because  they  were 
missionaries . They  forget  that  others  die  at  home  ! ” 

And  it  was  but  a little  while  after  the  afflictions  at 
Mosul,  that  he  heard  of  the  death  of  his  seminary  friend 
and  missionary  brother,  Mr.  Crane  of  Gawar.  “ What  an 
affliction,”  he  writes  Dr.  Perkins  under  date  of  Sept.  7th, 
“has  come  upon  our  dear  Mrs.  Crane,  and  upon  your 
mission ! Her  husband,  it  seemed  to  me,  both  in  Auburn 
and  Gawar,  was  a most  lovely  Christian.  His  self-denial 
has  met  its  reward;  he  has  gone  before  to  glory.  Oh 
that  we  may  profit  by  this  chastisement  from  the  Lord! 


THE  PURITY  OF  HEAUEN. 


333 


Will  not  the  Lord  draw  us  to  himself  by  our  great 
afflictions  ? When  I think  of  the  purity  of  heaven,  I feel 
that  I must  make  great  advances  in  spirituality  before  I 
shall  be  ready  to  enter  it.  Blessed  be  God  for  his  grace 
in  Christ,  for  a robe  not  tattered  and  soiled,  but  white  and 
whole,  the  robe  of  the  Lamb,  ready-made  and  waiting  to 
cover  the  nakedness  of  the  poor  saint.  I thank  God  I am 
not  to  wear  the  rags  of  my  own  righteousness  to  heaven. 
I am  constantly  patching  them  up  here  — may  I soon  be 
able  to  lay  them  aside  altogether  and  for  ever.”  This 
strong  desire  of  his  heart  grew  stronger  daily;  and  it 
was  not  long  to  remain  unaccomplished.  These  trials 
and  labors  were,  by  the  grace  of  God,  fast  ripening  him 
for  heaven. 

Of  the  missionary  work  at  this  time,  he  speaks  as  fol- 
lows, in  a letter  to  Dr.  Anderson,  written  on  the  last  day 
of  July:  “ Our  work  in  the  city  is  as  prosperous  as  we 
could  expect  it  to  be.  I often  feel  that  if  we  should 
simply  sit  here,  doing  very  little  actual  labor,  we  should 
accomplish  as  much  for  Christ  as  we  could  by  our  utmost 
exertions  in  America.  But  we  are  not  obliged  to  be  idle. 
Our  ordinary  religious  services  are  maintained  at  the 
chapel  and  the  dispensary.  The  arrival  of  some  chain 
pumps  from  the  United  States  has  excited  much  inquiry 
about  American  ingenuity ; and  some  have  even  said,  4 If 
these  missionaries  can  draw  up  water  with  a chain,  their 
religion  must  be  true.’  The  machines  bid  fair  to  revolu- 
tionize the  old  mode  of  irrigation. 

“ Kos  Michael  has  been  sent  to  Mardin  for  a few  months 
to  preach  the  gospel.  What  success  he  has  had  thus  far, 
we  do  not  yet  know ; but  we  have  reason  to  hope  that  his 
tour  will  not  be  fruitless.  The  pasha  promises  me  that 
if  he  shall  receive  an  order  from  the  Porte,  revoking  the 
prohibition  of  his  going  to  Tel  Keif,  he  will  cheerfully 
protect  him.  But  while  the  French  are  in  such  favor  with 
the  sultan,  we  can  hardly  expect  to  see  full  justice  done 


334 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


when  the  interests  of  the  papal  church  are  at  stake.  The 
persecution  of  this  man  has  been,  from  the  beginning,  a 
most  outrageous  affair. 

“ Haying  letters  from  Jezireh,  requesting  one  of  us  to 
go  there  and  organize  a Protestant  community,  and  hay- 
ing applications  to  open  schools  in  several  villages  of  Jebel 
Tour,  and  it  being  impossible  for  one  of  our  number  to 
leave,  Jeremiah  has  been  sent  to  investigate  the  facts.  It 
is  very  desirable  that  we  get  the  start  of  the  papists  in 
opening  schools  in  Jebel  Tour,  and  we  hope  that  Jere- 
miah’s visit  will  be  of  much  service  in  making  known 
more  generally  the  nature  of  the  Protestant  faith.  There 
is  the  stronghold  of  the  Jacobites. 

“ The  increased  interest  in  education  at  Mosul  is  of  the 
most  cheering  character.  At  the  beginning  of  the  year, 
we  had  but  twenty  scholars ; now  we  have  more  than  a 
hundred.  It  is  getting  to  be  understood  that  all  who 
become  Protestants,  ground  their  faith  on  evidence ; and 
it  is  exceedingly  gratifying  to  us  that  our  brethren  are 
almost  invariably  able  to  give  the  reason  for  the  hope  that 
is  in  them,  and  also  that  they  do  it  with  a good  conscience, 
in  meekness  and  fear.” 

In  the  same  letter,  Dr.  Lobdell  relates  the  further  devel- 
opment of  the  plot  for  insurrection,  which  was  checked 
by  the  bastinado  and  the  removal  of  the  Koords,  but, 
because  vengeance  against  an  evil  work  was  not  executed 
speedily  on  the  instigators,  and  owing  also  to  the  inca- 
pacity of  the  pasha,  broke  out  again,  and  threatened  most 
disastrous  consequences.  “ The  plan  was  to  murder  the 
dragoman  of  the  English  consul ; and  while  attending  his 
funeral,  professing  to  mourn  his  death,  the  conspirators  — 
all  belonging  to  that  part  of  the  aristocracy  of  the  town 
who  had  some  pique  against  the  government  — were  to 
rise  upon  the  Franks  and  wealthy  native  Christians,  and 
then  proceed  to  plunder.  At  midnight,  just  as  the  fast  of 
Ramadan  gave  way  to  the  fanatical  feasting  of  Byram, 


INSURRECTION  AT  MOSUL. 


335 


wliilo  the  dragoman  of  Mr.  Rassam  was  returning  home 
from  a visit  to  the  pasha,  two  men  in  masks  sprung  out 
from  a lane  between  him  and  his  attendants.  One  stopped 
the  horse ; the  other  fired  a pistol  at  the  rider.  Both  then 
fled.  A servant  chased  them,  when  one  of  the  culprits 
turned  and  fired  a ball  at  him,  but  without  effect.  The 
dragoman,  who  is  the  most  influential  native  Christian  of 
the  place,  fell  from  his  horse  wounded ; but  the  ball  had 
only  passed  through  the  forearm.  Hundreds  flocked 
daily  to  his  house  to  offer  him  their  sympathy ; and  none 
were  so  attentive  as  the  chief  conspirators,  who,  no  doubt, 
all  the  time  regretted  that  the  ball  had  not  passed  through 
a more  vital  part.  Two  young  Moslems  were  seized  by 
the  pasha  as  the  assassins,  and  though  there  was  a strong 
attempt  to  throw  the  blame  on  the  Christians,  one  of  the 
men  turned  state’s  evidence,  and  revealed  the  fact  that  he 
had  been  offered  a thousand  piastres  to  kill  Joma,  (the 
dragoman,)  and  that  he  had  induced  the  other  to  assist 
him.  The  persons  who  offered  the  bribe,  were  found  to 
be  two  of  the  most  influential  men  of  the  town ; and  they 
were  sent  under  a strong  escort  to  Baghdad  to  await  the 
orders  of  the  Porte.  A third  dignitary,  the  chief  instiga- 
tor of  the  plot,  has  since  been  seized  and  confined,  and 
the  names  of  a dozen  others  are  recorded,  and  their  move- 
ments are  closely  watched  by  the  police. 

“Both  the  English  and  the  French  consuls  think  that 
we  Americans  have  had  as  narrow  an  escape  as  they  them- 
selves ; and  though  they  have  no  special  fear  that  any 
further  attempt  will  be  made  to  produce  a riot,  they  have 
deemed  it  best  to  use  their  influence  at  Constantinople  to 
secure  the  removal  of  the  inefficient  pasha,  who,  but  a 
short  time  since,  received  from  the  Sultan  the  title  of  Beglar 
Bey,  or  Lord  of  Lords.  There  is  little  doubt  that  the  dig- 
nitaries, who  have  thus  twice  set  the  city  in  an  uproar,  will 
find  honorable  exile  with  such  worthies  as  Beder  Khan 
Bey.  It  is  a matter  for  devout  thanksgiving  to  God,  that 


836 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


he  has  permitted  us  to  pursue  our  labors  unmolested  in 
the  midst  of  these  late  excitements.” 

Two  letters  on  missions,  which  were  written  by  Dr. 
Lobdell  in  the  summer  of  1854,  well  deserve  a place  in 
this  memoir,  and  would  be  inserted  entire,  but  for  the 
press  of  other  matter.  The  first  is  addressed  to  the  editor 
of  the  New  York  Tribune,  and  was  designed  as  a defence 
of  Christian  missions  against  an  unfavorable,  though  not 
intentionally  unfriendly  remark  of  Bayard  Taylor  in  refer- 
ence to  missions  in  India,  who,  while  “ testifying  to  the 
zeal  and  faithfulness  of  those  who  labor  in  the  cause,”  still 
had  “ not  witnessed  any  results  which  satisfied  him  that 
the  vast  expenditure  of  money,  talent,  and  life,  in  mission- 
ary enterprises,  had  ever  been  repaid.”  Waiving  the  con- 
sideration of  spiritual  and  religious  results  in  a secular 
journal,  Dr.  Lobdell  examines  the  subject  in  a purely 
social,  political,  and  economical  light,  and  comparing  the 
expenditures  and  results  of  the  Sandwich  Islands  mission 
with  those  of  the  United  States  exploring  expedition,  and 
the  outlays  and  achievements  of  the  missions  to  Turkey, 
India,  and  China,  with  those  of  European  governments  in 
the  same  countries,  he  shows  that  the  former  have  been 
incomparably  more  economical  than  the  latter;  that,  in 
fact,  no  other  expenditures  of  money,  and  talent,  and  life, 
whether  in  the  improvement  of  government  and  society 
at  home,  or  in  extending  knowledge  and  civilization  in 
foreign  lands,  have  been  so  fruitful  of  beneficent  results  — 
results  to  commerce  and  civilization,  to  geography  and 
history,  to  literature  and  science,  to  humanity  and  philan- 
thropy, to  say  nothing  of  religion,  as  those  of  Christian 
missions.  “If  any  body  needs  instruction,”  he  argues  in 
conclusion,  “it  is  surely  the  pagan;  and  few  indeed  are 
the  men  who  have  engaged  in  the  work,  that  have  not 
found  it  full  of  promise  for  the  life  that  now  is,  as  well  as 
for  that  which  is  to  come.  They  have  seen  their  people 
put  whitewash  on  their  mud  houses,  clean  their  floors. 


LETTERS  ON  MISSIONS. 


837 


observe  order  and  neatness  at  home  and  abroad,  practice 
temperance  and  all  the  Christian  virtues  themselves,  and 
teach  them  to  their  children.  They  have  seen  a taste  for 
knowledge  spread  all  around  them ; they  have  seen  idols 
and  superstitious  rites  give  place  to  Christ,  and  have  almost 
invariably  found  it  good  to  be  a missionary.” 

The  other  letter  is  addressed  to  the  Society  of  Inquiry 
in  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Andover,  in  which  he  says 
that  he  considers  the  doctrine  as  established,  that  at  the 
pres'ent  time  “ every  able-bodied,  energetic,  devoted,  hope- 
ful foreign  missionary  accomplishes  more  good  than  he 
possibly  could  in  America.  The  good  he  secures,  is  not 
confined  to  the  number  of  converts  under  his  ministry ; 
but  he  lays  the  foundation  of  a glorious  temple,  destined 
to  embrace  the  entire  population  among  whom  he  dwells.” 
After  adverting  to  facts  in  the  history  of  missions  in  Tur- 
key, Persia,  India,  China,  and  the  islands  of  the  sea,  which 
illustrate  and  establish  this  proposition,  he  says,  “ J ust  as 
soon  as  the  church  began  to  obey  the  Saviour’s  command 
to  go  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature,  God  opened 
the  way ; and  the  false  systems  of  ages  are  disappearing. 
It  remains  for  the  church  to  say,  whether  the  work  shall 
be  completed  soon,  or  after  some  ages.”  He  then  goes  on 
to  speak  of  the  happiness  of  the  missionary  life,  the  high 
preference  which  every  missionary  entertains  for  his  own 
field  over  the  most  exalted  post  of  usefulness  in  America, 
the  great  demand  for  more  laborers,  especially  in  western 
Asia,  and  the  crushing  weight  of  duties  and  responsibili- 
ties which  are  devolved  upon  those  who  are  in  the  field, 
because  the  harvest  is  so  great  and  so  ripe,  and  the  labor- 
ers are  so  few.  “I  have  just  written  to  Dr.  Anderson,” 
he  says,  “ proposing  next  summer  to  go  temporarily  to 
Asheta,  if  the  committee  will  send  out  a family  to  accom- 
pany me  thither,  and  meet  Mr.  Rhea,  who  is  anxious  to 
come  from  Gawar.  If  I leave  to  spend  my  summers  there, 
Mosul  will  be  left  weak.  Indeed,  I may  say  almost  every 
29 


338 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


station  of  our  Board  is  suffering  from  debility  — a debility 
which  implies  guilt  somewhere.  Here  is  found  the  secret 
of  the  shortness  of  missionary  life  ! I am  often  exhorted 
by  friends  in  America  not  to  commit  suicide  by  over-work. 
But  one  must  be  an  extreme  conservative , if  he  would 
keep  quiet  when  there  is  such  a call  for  labor  — such  a 
scarcity  of  the  word  of  life. 

“ Come,  then,  brethren,  to  our  aid,  three  of  you  at  least. 
W e will  give  you  a warm  welcome,  and  assure  you,  that 
however  hard  the  field,  if  you  have  the  true  missionary 
spirit,  you  will  bless  God  for  the  privilege  of  cultivating 
it.  The  best  gift  which  Andover  can  this  year  make  to 
the  church,  is  a large  majority  of  her  graduating  class  to 
the  service  of  the  American  Board? 

Dr.  Lobdell’s  letters  to  the  members  of  the  Ne.^torian 
mission  at  this  time,  show  his  deep  interest  in  the  mission- 
ary circular  protesting  against  American  slavery.  He 
thought  that  Christian  consistency  demanded  of  the  mis- 
sionary who  testified  against  oppression  and  heathenism 
abroad,  that  he  should  testify  against  oppression  and 
heathenism  at  home ; that  Christian  patriotism  required 
him,  to  the  extent  of  his  influence,  to  wipe  away  the  one 
foul  blot  that  sullied  his  country’s  good  name  in  the  eyes 
of  foreign  nations ; and  that  Christian  manliness  forbade 
his  submission  to  the  silence  which  some  would  enforce 
upon  him  because  he  was  a missionary.  “ I can  not  get 
over  the  impression,”  he  says,  “ that  the  missionary  is  a 
man , and  that,  while  among  men,  he  ought  to  speak  like 
a man? 

The  leisure  hours,  or  rather  the  spare  moments  of  the 
summer,  his  least  busy  season,  Dr.  Lobdell  improved,  as 
usual,  and  made  them  tributary  to  the  cause  of  letters. 
He  wrote  at  this  time  the  notes  on  the  Anabasis  of  Xeno- 
jfiion,  which  appeared  as  an  article  in  the  Bibliotheca 
Sacra  for  April,  1857.  Beginning  at  the  site  of  ancient 
Nineveh,  he  traverses  the  whole  field  of  the  exploits  of 


NOTES  ON  XENOTIION’s  ANABASIS. 


339 


the  Ten  Thousand  Greeks,  describes  the  ruined  cities, 
explores  the  antiquities,  elucidates  the  geography  and 
topography,  illustrates  the  arms,  costumes,  customs,  and 
manners  of  the  people,  which,  like  the  face  of  the  country 
and  the  mounds,  have  remained  almost  without  change 
since  the  days  of  Xenophon,  and  explains  the  modes  of 
travel,  measures  of  distance,  and  ways  of  crossing  streams, 
which  are  the  same  now  as  they  were  in  the  time  of  the  As- 
syrian kings  — in  short,  explains  local  allusions  and  illus- 
trates whatever  admits  of  illustration  by  personal  knowl- 
edge of  that  great  Mesopotamian  valley  and  those  lofty 
Koordish  mountains,  which  were  the  principal  theater  of 
the  events  recorded  in  the  Anabasis.  The  notes  were  the 
result  of  his  own  observations  and  reflections  on  the  ground; 
and  they  are,  if  not  a new,  yet  an  original  and  valuable 
contribution  to  the  right  understanding  and  appreciation 
of  that  favorite  classic.  The  reader  will  get  some  idea  of 
the  circumstances  under  which  this  article  was  written,  and 
also  of  the  freshness,  playfulness,  and  versatility  of  the 
writer,  by  putting  together  two  paragraphs  of  a letter  to 
his  brother,  which  was  written  at  the  same  time  with  the 
article.  “ Oh  for  a piece  of  maple  sugar  ! Oh  for  an  ice 
cream  ! 4 Oh  for  a lodge  in  some  vast  wilderness,  some 

boundless  contiguity  of  shade]  in  these  tremendous  heats  ! 
The  mercury  rises  daily  to  110°  or  more,  and  at  night 
only  gets  down  to  85°  or  90Q.  At  sunset  it  is  generally 
about  100°.” 

4 There  is  no  difference  between  the  ancient  parasang 
and  the  modern  fursakh.  Both  are  measures  of  time, 
and  are  equal  to  an  hour , which,  though  differing  with  the 
animal,  is  usually  about  three  miles . I am  writing  some 
notes  on  Xenophon  — perhaps  for  my  friend  Gay,  of 
Charlestown  ; he  is  getting  out  an  edition  of  the  Anabasis.” 

In  a note  which  accompanied  the  manuscript,  and  which 
was  dated  at  Mosul,  Aug.  14th,  1854,  he  says  : “ While  I 
was  getting  up  from  my  attack  of  fever  and  ague  last 


340 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


winter,  I amused  myself  with  running  through  the  Anaba- 
sis of  our  favorite  Xenophon.  You  see  I have  taken  the 
liberty  to  send  you  some  notes  on  that  part  of  the  book 
referring  to  this  section.  I place  the  MS.  at  your  dispo- 
sal, only  wishing  it  were  more  worthy  of  the  attention  of 
a professor  of  Greek.  I do  not  feel  sure  that  it  is  worth 
publication  in  full,  but  if  it  will  benefit  any  one,  you  will, 
perhaps,  be  able  to  place  it  within  his  reach.  Pray,  at 
least,  allow  it  to  be  a feeble  expression  of  my  personal 
regard,  and  an  apology  for  a brief  reply  to  your  last  letter. 
If  my  missionary  duties  allowed  of  my  perusing  with 
care  the  Cyropa3dia,  I might  find  some  passages,  perhaps, 
easily  illuminated ; but  it  is  only  an  occasional  moment 
that  can  be  spared  for  such  a diversion.” 

In  his  journey  over  that  oldest  portion  of  the  old  world, 
Dr.  Lobdell  could  not  but  gather  up  facts  and  thoughts 
touching  language  and  races,  as  well  as  geography  and 
antiquities,  which  were  worthy  of  preservation.  These, 
for  the  most  part,  he  transmitted  to  the  American  Orien- 
tal Society,  of  which  he  was  chosen  a corresponding  mem- 
ber in  May,  1854 ; and  the  results  of  his  observations  have 
appeared  from  time  to  time  in  the  columns  of  the  Society’s 
published  journal.  Besides  these  more  solid  matters,  he 
sent  to  the  Society  some  curiosities  in  literature  ;*  also 
coins,  cylinders,  and  other  relics  of  antiquity,  which  he  had 
collected.  Of  the  estimation  in  which  his  correspondence 
was  held,  and  the  hopes  that  were  excited  of  valuable 
contributions  in  future,  the  following  extracts  of  letters 
from  Professors  Salisbury  and  Whitney  will  furnish  the 
best  evidence.  Writing  to  Dr.  Lobdeli’s  father  soon 
after  the  death  of  his  son,  Prof.  Salisbury  says  : “ In  reply 
to  yours  of  the  2d,  I send  you  now,  three  manuscript  let- 
ters of  the  late  Dr.  Lobdell,  and  a copy  of  one  in  print, 

*Among  the  rest,  a specimen  of  Moslem  genealogy,  in  which  are  enrolled 
several  sons  of  Adam  not  found  in  the  Bible  ; a list  of  pashas  of  Mosul  for 
two  centuries  past  ; a pilgrim’s  prayer  at  Nahum’s  tomb,  in  Hebrew,  &c. 


CONTRIBUTIONS  TO  TIIE  ORIENTAL  SOCIETY.  341 

) 

included  in  volume  4,  No.  2,  of  the  Journal  of  the  Ameri- 
can Oriental  Society.  There  are  other  and  later  letters 
from  your  much  lamented  son  in  my  hands  ; but  which  I 
retain,  having  need  of  them,  in  order  to  make  extracts 
from  them  for  the  next  number  of  the  Journal.  I shall  be 
happy  to  send  these,  also,  to  you  hereafter 

“ The  Journal  of  Observations  on  a tour  in  Ivoordistan 
has  been  received,  and  will  be  published,  in  part,  in  a 
future  number  of  our  Journal.  I can  not  now  let  the  MS. 
go  out  of  my  hands. 

“ This  opportunity  must  not  pass  without  my  express- 
ing to  you  the  deep  regret  which  I felt  at  the  death  of 
your  son.  An  interesting  correspondence  with  him,  in 
behalf  of  the  Oriental  Society,  had  been  established,  which 
gave  promise  of  being  increasingly  valuable  ; and  in  my 
last  letter  to  him,  which  he  did  not  live  to  receive,  I had 
authorized  him  to  purchase  for  me  some  relics  of  antiquity, 
which  I hoped  would  prove  a valuable  accession  to  our 
materials  of  knowledge.  But  he  fell  in  the  best  cause, 
and  his  acquisitions  and  abilities  are  not  lost  — only  trans- 
ferred to  a higher  sphere  of  action.” 

After  giving  a somewhat  fuller  account  of  Dr.  Lobdell’s 
contributions,  Prof.  Whitney,  who  writes  in  1857,  says: 
“ The  character  of  the  loss  sustained  by  the  Society,  and 
by  the  learned  world,  by  the  death  of  Dr.  Lobdell,  is  not 
at  all  to  be  measured  by  what  he  had  done,  but  by  what 
there  was  reason  to  expect  that  he  would  do.  And  cer- 
tainly he  gave  promise  of  very  great  efficiency  and  useful- 
ness in  the  cause  of  science  as  well  as  missions.  The 
Society  has  hardly  had  a correspondent  among  our  mis- 
sionaries, who  commenced  so  heartily  and  actively,  and 
from  whom  it  had  more  reason  to  expect  a series  of  valu- 
able communications.  His  interest  in  behalf  of  knowl- 
edge, his  zeal  and  energy  in  promoting  it,  were  quite  un- 
usual. With  so  much  ability  and  devotedness,  he  could  not 
have  failed,  had  his  life  been  spared,  to  accomplish  very 
29* 


342 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


much  in  every  department  of  his  work ; and  it  was  and 
is  a matter  of  deep  and  sincere  regret  to  the  Society,  for 
itself  and  for  the  world,  that  he  was  cut  off  almost  at  the 
commencement  of  a career  which  promised  to  be  so  useful 
and  honorable.” 

But  there  was  no  study  to  Dr.  Lobdell  like  the  study 
of  theology ; no  profession  or  practice  like  the  preaching 
of  the  gospel.  “ Your  theological  instrucions,”  he  writes 
to  Mr.  Stoddard,  “ must  be  profitable  as  well  to  yourself 
as  to  your  pupils.  It  is  above  all  sciences  — this  theology. 
I can  hardly  content  myself  with  my  knife  and  pills,  when 
such  a theme  for  thought  and  discourse  is  present  as 
God.  ...  I am  sure,  I never  should  have  practiced  medi- 
cine in  America.  The  Bible  — God  — what  subjects  for 
study!  Well,  the  great  truths  of  the  Word  can  be  our 
contemplation  in  eternity.  Our  labor  is  here,  our  rest 
hereafter.  Here  we  get  glimpses  of  the  truth  ; in  heaven 
we  shall  see  its  full-orbed  glory.” 


CHAPTER  X Y 1 1 . 


Extracts  from  Journal  — Contributions  by  Missionaries  to  the  Advancement 
of  Learning  — Dr.  Judson — Dr.  Perkins  — Health  Station  at  Deira  — Dr. 
Lobdell’s  Journey  thither  — Establishment  of  a Seminary  at  Mosul  — The 
Education  Question  — Disturbed  State  of  the  Country  — Yezdinshir  Bey  — 
Siege  of  Jezireh  — Protestant  Cemetery — Demolition  of  the  Wall  at  the  Insti- 
gation of  the  Papists  — Action  of  the  Board  on  Slavery  — Combination  to 
drive  away  the  Missionaries  — Archbishop  Behnam  — Scarlet  Fever  — Pota- 
toes in  Mosul  — Letter  written  at  Nimrood  — Sculptures,  Coins,  and  other 
Relics  of  Antiquity  —The  Nineveh  Gallery  at  Amherst  — Bible  Illustrations. 

As  we  have  now  come  to  the  last  volume  of  Dr.  Lob- 
dell’s  journal,  the  reader  will  perhaps  be  pleased  to  see 
some  more  consecutive  extracts  from  its  pages.  It  is  only 
a small  portion  of  each  day’s  record,  that  can  be  copied, 
and  the  selections  of  course  can  have  but  little  connection, 
except  that  they  follow  each  other  in  the  order  of  time. 
The  passages  are  chosen  partly  with  reference  to  the 
intrinsic  value  of  the  matter  contained  in  them,  and  partly 
as  peculiarly  characteristic  of  the  sentiments  and  spirit  of 
the  writer.  These,  together  with  portions  of  letters  writ- 
ten within  the  same  period,  will  bring  our  narrative  down 
to  the  time  of  Dr.  Lobdell’s  journey  to  Baghdad  and  Bab- 
ylon, which  shortly  preceded  his  death. 

“Monday,  Aug.  21st,  1854.  Began  to  write  out  the 
notes  of  my  tour  to  Tabreez,  made  more  than  a year  ago ! 
A crowd  of  Moslems  in.  We  discussed  the  advantages 
and  disadvantages  of  freedom  in  religion.  They  said, 
4 We  are  bound  by  the  Koran  to  kill  a false  disciple;  free- 
dom is  impossible  to  us.  Let  every  one  remain  in  the 
sect  God  put  him  in.’  They  complained  that  we  seemed 
to  be  trying  to  make  Christians  of  Moslems  — a thing 
impossible.  Then  why  their  fear  ? 


344 


MEMOIK  OF  LOBDELL. 


“ 22d.  Tues.  Out  visiting  patients  till  the  heat  was  too 
great  for  my  weak  head.  What  suffering  the  sick  here 
endure  for  want  of  care  ! 

“ 23d.  Wrote  E.  E.  Bliss  with  our  circular  on  slavery  to 
get  signatures  of  Armenian  and  Jewish  missions.  Also  a 
note  of  condolence  to  Mr.  Nutting  of  Aintab.  Messrs. 
Oakley  (the  traveler)  and  Boutcher  (who  sketches  for  Mr. 
Loftus)  spent  most  of  the  afternoon  with  me.  Discussed 
Arabic,  antiques,  habits  of  people,  state  of  Nestorians, 
extent  of  Nineveh,  &c.  New  sculptures  turning  up  at 
Koyunjik.  A lion  hunt  in  boats  ! 

“ 26th.  Spent  most  of  the  forenoon  discussing  the  ques- 
tion of  the  credibility  of  the  gospels  with  a lot  of  Jews. 
They  saw,  they  were  unable  to  demonstrate  the  credibility 
of  Moses,  any  clearer  than  I could  that  of  Christ.  Their 
only  mode  of  proof  was  by  quoting  from  the  Hebrew 
Scriptures,  not  dreaming  that  any  body  could  question 
their  authenticity.  Credulity  is  here  what  skepticism  is 
in  Germany.  The  true  spirit  of  religion  is  lost.  When 
shall  it  be  restored  ? 

“28th.  Wrote  Tribune  touching  matters  on  the  Per- 
sian and  Turkish  frontier.  Drew  a map  of  my  route  to 
Akra,  which  is  northeast  by  east  from  Mosul,  and  dis- 
tant fifty-eight  miles. 

“ 29th.  An  Armenian  apothecary  called  to-day  with  a 
lot  of  seals,  cylinders,  and  coins,  which  he  obtained  at 
Kerkuk.  Some  were  quite  valuable.  Some  had  Semitic 
characters  on  them,  if  Layard  is  right  in  calling  those  on 
page  606  of  his  Nineveh  and  Babylon  such.  If  I were 
authorized  to  give  a good  price  for  these  antiques,  I could 
procure  a better  set  than  has  been  published  by  Layard. 
Rare  coins  — gold,  silver,  and  copper  — are  often  brought 
me;  but  I am  unable  to  buy  them.  They  thus  go  to 
Paris  or  London.* 


*Dr.  Lobdell  wrote  to  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  the  Boston  Athenaeum, 
and  several  of  the  professors  in  American  colleges,  endeavoring  to  awaken  in 
them  something  of  his  own  patriotic,  as  well  as  antiquarian  zeal  in  this  matter. 


A QUESTION  OF  CONSCIENCE. 


345 


“ Sept.  2d.  Jews  in,  who  declared  that  as  we  allow 
women  to  pray,  we  are  opposed  to  the  Old  Testament. 
They  never  allow  a woman  to  pray.  She  can  go  to  the 
synagogue,  and  look  at  the  Scriptures ; and  that  is  all. 

“ 4th.  A passage  in  Dr.  Wayland’s  Memoir  of  Dr. 
Judson,*  giving  it  as  the  opinion  of  the  latter,  that  a 
missionary  should  not  allow  himself  to  pursue  science  or 
literature,  even  as  a recreation,  troubles  me  much.  Is  it, 
or  is  it  not  a correct  principle  ? It  seems  to  me  extreme 
ground,  but  I must  try  to  satisfy  my  mind  on  the  ques- 
tion. I surely  wish  to  act  now  for  eternity,  and  to  labor 
so  as  most  to  glorify  God.  I do  not  mean  to  let  my 
writing  interfere  with  my  regular  Arabic  and  Syriac 
studies,  nor  ever  to  prevent  my  talking  to  sinners  when 
they  call.  What  should  I do  ? Can  I,  or  can  I not  serve 
God  by  writing  an  occasional  article  on  the  topics  of 
interest  in  this  quarter,  with  which  I am  better  acquainted 
than  anybody  at  a distance  can  be?  May  I be  guided  in 
this  matter  by  the  will  of  the  Lord.” 

This  question  recurs  frequently  in  Dr.  LobdelFs  journal 
and  letters  at  this  time.  He  had  made  it  a subject  of 
prayerful  consideration  before  ; the  memoir  of  Dr.  Judson 
brought  it  up  afresh.  On  a subsequent  page  of  his  jour- 
nal, he  quotes  the  authority  of  Dr.  Perkins  on  the  other 
side.f  He  corresponded  on  the  subject  with  Dr.  Perkins 
and  Mr.  Stoddard ; also,  with  friends  and  acquaintances 
in  the  United  States,  in  whose  judgment  he  reposed  con- 
fidence. He  investigated  the  whole  matter  anew,  with  all 
the  light  he  could  derive  from  whatever  source,  and  with 
the  most  sincere  and  earnest  desire  to  know  and  do  his 
duty,  whatever  it  might  be.  And  though  he  greatly 
admired  Dr.  Judson’s  singleness  of  aim,  and,  under  the 
influence  of  his  example,  resolved  to  write  fewer  letters, 
rea & fewer  papers,  and  devote  himself  more  assiduously  to 
the  perfect  mastery  of  the  Arabic,  and  to  direct  efforts 


* Yol.  I.  p.  162. 


t Residence  in  Persia,  p.  395. 


346 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


for  the  conversion  of  men ; still  he  never  could  see  it  to 
be  his  duty,  or  the  duty  of  the  missionary  in  general,  to 
renounce  such  incidental  services  to  the  cause  of  literature 
and  science,  as,  in  the  providence  of  God,  fell  in  his  way, 
and  could  be  performed  without  interfering  with  other 
duties.  “My  present  impression  is,”  he  says  in  a letter  to 
Mr.  Stoddard,  dated  Sept.  25th,  1854,  “that  missionaries 
ought  to  do  something  for  science  and  literature,  and 
every  missionary  must  himself  be  the  judge  of  the  extent 
to  which  he  may  rightfully  proceed.”  If  Dr.  Lobdell 
would  or  could  have  rested  while  he  was  writing  some  of 
his  letters  for  the  edification  of  his  friends,  or  for  the 
advancement  of  learning,  it  might  perhaps  have  been 
better ; but  if  he  had  not  allowed  himself  those  recrea- 
tions, he  would  have  been  engaged  in  more  exhausting 
missionary  labors,  and  would  have  worn  out  or  burned 
out  sooner  than  he  did.  At  the  very  time  when  he  seems 
to  others  to  have  been  only  too  earnest  and  incessant  in 
his  labors,  only  too  like  a self-consuming  flame  of  fire  in  his 
zeal,  he  complains  of  himself  in  such  terms  as  these:  “I  am 
too  insensible  of  the  danger  of  the  people  around  me. 
They  are,  they  are  rushing  on  to  destruction ! Oh ! let 
me  lay  aside  all  letter  writing,  all  journalizing,  all  studies, 
all  pajiers,  that  interfere  with  my  faithfulness  to  their  poor 
souls.  May  God  help  me  to  be  more  like  Christ!” 

Missionaries,  like  other  men,  are  differently  constituted, 
both  physically  and  mentally;  and  as  no  one  man  in  other 
walks  of  life  can  be  made  a rule  for  all  other  men,  so  no 
one  missionary  should  be  set  up  as  a standard  for  all  other 
missionaries.  The  cause  of  missions  would  have  lost 
much  in  public  estimation  at  home,  and  in  usefulness 
abroad,  if  it  had  not  been  served  by  a Carey  and  a Morri- 
son, as  well  as  by  a Judson  ; by  an  Eli  Smith,  as  well  as 
by  a Pliny  Fiske ; by  a Lobdell  and  a Stoddard,  who 
could  not  refrain  from  studying  the  earth  and  the  stars 
with  the  eyes  which  God  had  given  them — as  well  as  by 


EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY. 


347 


the  many  good  missionaries,  whose  circumstances  and  gifts 
and  graces  led  them  to  spend  all  their  time  in  the  preach- 
ing of  the  gospel. 

“ Sept.  8th.  I feel  very  unwell  — have  a severe  pain  in 
my  right  side — pleuritic.  Oh,  how  frail  is  man!  Who  can 
tell  what  will  be  the  result  of  even  so  slight  an  attack  as 
mine.  But  I do  not  know  by  what  imprudence  I brought 
it  on,  and  I am  only  desirous  that  the  Lord’s  will  be  done 
with  me.  I say  this  from  my  very  soul. 

“12th.  Mary  still  sick,  and  worse  — a sort  of  croup. 
What  a blow  it  would  be  if  she  should  be  taken  from  us. 
I love  her  exceedingly.  It  is,  nevertheless,  good  to  be 
afflicted ; and  I hope  I shall  gradually  rise  above  the 
world.  I know  I shall  not  without  affliction. 

“19th.  Hard  night — intense  pain.  Mr.  Williams  down 
with  fever,  also.  One  of  his  children  and  both  of  mine 
ill.  Shall  I get  away  to  Asheeta  the  first  week  of  October  ? 
This  is  a sad  world ; but  I never  mean  to  be  melancholy 
in  it ; this  would  be  sinful. 

“20th.  The  Chaldeans,  Jacobites,  and  Nestorians  begin 
the  year  twelve  days  later  than  the  Syrians  and  Franks; 
that  is,  they  use  the  old  style.  The  Nestorians  generally 
use  the  Alexandrian  era  in  all  their  writings,  political  and 
ecclesiastical.  The  Jacobites  use  the  Alexandrian  era  in 
ecclesiastical  matters,  though  in  civil  affairs  they  date 
from  the  Christian  era.  The  Armenians  use  the  Moslem 
era ; and  so  do  some  of  the  other  Christian  sects  in  epis- 
tolary correspondence,  notes  of  hand,  &c. 

“21st.  At  our  business  meeting  to-day,  I was  appointed 
to  write  a tract  for  Moslems.  This  will  be  a bold  step ; 
but  I can  not  see  why  I should  not  preach  the  whole  gos- 
jDel  to  them,  and  ask  liberty  of  no  man.  Great  crowd  at 
my  dispensary.  A Christian  came  in  sick,  having  fled 
home  from  Arbeel,  where  he  had  been  at  work  for  the 
mutsellim,  whose  soldiers  shook  their  daggers  at  him  for 
presuming  to  demand  his  wages. 


348 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


“22d.  My  mussulman  teacher  has  great  objection  to 
interpreting  the  Koran  as  I read,  as  it  is  God’s  word,  and 
he  fears  he  shall  give  a wrong  meaning  to  it.  Might  not 
the  ruthless  Germans  learn  a lesson  from  the  reverent 
Moslems  ? Might  not  the  southern  slaveholder  learn 
mercy  from  the  Koran,  which  requires  an  enemy  captured 
in  battle  and  held  as  a slave,  if  he  can  read,  has  a book, 
as  soon  as  he  becomes  a Moslem,  to  be  set  at  liberty. 

“ Mr.  Williams  and  I called  on  Daoud  ibn  Antone,  the 
builder.  W e found  that  not  one  in  the  family  understood 
the  meaning  of  a single  sentence  in  the  Lord’s  Prayer, 
except  4 Our  Father,  who  art  in  heaven,’  and  4 Give  us 
this  day  our  daily  bread.’  The  ecclesiastics  never  ex- 
pound the  Liturgy,  and  the  Lord’s  Prayer  is  a part  of  it. 
W e tried  to  show  them  that  they  might  as  well  nail  their 
prayers  to  a windmill,  as  some  of  the  heathen  do,  or  fasten 
them  behind  a mule  turning  a gristmill,  and  then  sit  down 
and  smoke,  as  to  repeat  words  in  prayer  to  which  they 
attached  no  meaning. 

44  28th.  Long  talks  with  Loftus  and  Boutcher  at  Brother 
Williams’s.  All  of  us  think  Jebel  Judi  is  the  Ararat  of 
Scripture ; so  does  Rawlinson.” 

The  Prudential  Committee  having  authorized  the  estab- 
lishment of  a health  station  in  the  mountains,  Dr.  Lob- 
dell  left  Mosul  for  this  purpose  on  the  3d  of  October. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marsh  accompanied  him  as  far  as  Sheikh 
Adi,  to  witness  the  annual  festival  of  the  Yezidees.  Jere- 
miah went  with  him  the  whole  distance.  The  first  night 
they  spent  in  the  mud  palace  of  the  French  consul  at 
Khorsabad.  The  second  night  they  reached  Sheikh  Adi, 
where  they  passed  the  next  day  (October  5th)  taking 
daguerreotypes  of  Sheikh  Kasir  and  Hussein  Bey,  and 
obtaining  some  more  definite  ideas  of  the  religion  of  the 
Yezidees.  On  the  6th  they  went  on  their  journey,  nine 
hours,  to  the  Koordish  town  of  Spindaro.  On  the  7th, 
seven  hours  to  the  Kestorian  village  of  Bebada.  The  8th 


HEALTH  STATION  AT  DEIRA. 


340 


(Sabbath)  they  spent  at  Sim,  attending  the  church  ser- 
vice, and  having  their  attention  particularly  attracted  to 
the  Icera  or  mountain  variety  of  Jonah’s  gourd.*  October 
9th  brought  them  to  the  mutsellim’s  at  Amadieh,  and 
thence  to  the  Nestorian  village  of  Mar  Odesho  (Saint- 
Servant  of  Christ),  or,  as  the  Koords  call  it,  Deira,  which 
is  two  hours  beyond  Amadieh.  Here  Dr.  Lobdell  se- 
lected a site  and  made  arrangements  for  building ; and, 
leaving  Jeremiah  to  superintend  the  construction,  returned 
by  Amadieh,  Aithootha,  and  Al-Kosh  (where  he  paid  a 
visit  to  the  tomb  of  the  Prophet  Nahum)  to  Mosul,  where 
he  arrived  on  the  13th,  having  been  that  day  thirteen 
hours  and  a half  in  the  saddle. 

In  a letter  addressed  to  Dr.  Pomroy  after  the  arrange- 
ments were  completed,  he  thus  speaks  of  the  mission 
premises,  of  the  field  for  missionary  labor,  and  of  the 
reasons  for  its  selection : “ Three  rooms  have  been  con- 
structed for  a summer  retreat.  They  are  on  ground 
leased  by  the  agents  of  the  saint,  who,  though  in  heaven, 
is  supposed  to  be  present  a good  part  of  the  time  in  the 
church,  which  bears  his  name,  and  which  also  gives  name 
to  the  village.  To  these,  if  the  state  of  the  country  will 
permit,  two  of  our  families  intend  to  resort  next  summer, 
not  expecting,  indeed,  to  find  the  place  as  cool  as  Asheeta, 
but  yet  much  more  comfortable  than  Mosul.  It  was  not 
deemed  prudent  to  attempt  a residence  at  Asheeta.f  The 
near  proximity  of  Deira  to  Amadieh,  where  resides  a 
friendly  mutsellim,  appointed  by  the  pasha  of  Mosul, 
promised  much  greater  security  from  the  nomadic  Koords. 
It  is  hoped,  that,  having  gained  a foothold  at  this  point, 
it  will  not  be  difficult  for  missionaries  to  enter  Tiyari  and 
Tekhoma,  the  chief  centers  of  the  remaining  population  of 
the  mountain  Nestorians.  The  distance  of  Deira  from 

* See  p.  258. 

f Asheeta,  the  reader  will  remember,  was  Dr.  Grant’s  station.  It  is  de- 
scribed at  p.  258,  of  his  memoir. 

30 


350 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


Mosul  is  about  seventy  miles.  It  can  be  traveled  by 
mules  in  four  days.  The  village  is  small ; but  all  the  in- 
habitants are  anxious  that  we  should  go  there,  as  the 
papists  are  making  great  exertions  to  bring  them  and 
their  fellow-Nestorians  under  the  iron  heel  of  the  Pope. 

“ W e hope,  that  as  soon  as  may  be,  the  Committee  will 
designate  two  missionary  families  to  that  neighborhood. 
They  might  reside  at  Deira  in  summer,  and  at  Amadieh 
in  winter.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  self-denying  labor 
here  will  accomplish  great  good  for  the  mountain  flock  of 
the  deluded  patriarch.  Shall  these  poor  Christians  stretch 
forth  their  hands  to  America  in  vain  ? Too  long  has  the 
church  disregarded  their  entreaties,  too  long  have  the 
bones  of  Dr.  Grant  lain  mouldering,  since,  from  their  rug- 
ged mountain  tops,  he  eloquently  pleaded  their  cause.” 

Simultaneously  with  the  appropriation  for  a health 
station,  the  missionaries  of  Mosul  were  authorized  to  ojien 
a seminary  for  higher  instruction.  The  strong  ground 
taken  by  Dr.  Judson  and  his  biographer,  against  educa- 
tion, and  in  favor  of  preaching  by  missionaries,  led  Dr. 
Lobdell  to  a reconsideration  of  the  whole  subject.  He 
discussed  it  with  his  colleagues  ; he  corresponded  with  his 
missionary  brethren  at  other  stations.  He  studied  the 
report  of  the  missions  in  India,  and  came  to  the  conclu- 
sion, that  there  a great  amount  of  money  had  been 
wasted  by  some  societies,  in  mere  secular  education.  The 
missionaries  at  Mosul,  who  had  refused  to  administer 
medicines  to  the  sick  at  the  dispensary,  except  in  connec- 
tion with  the  preaching  of  the  way  of  salvation  through 
faith  in  Christ,  would  not  be  very  likely  to  fill  into  this 
error.  They  were  unanimous  in  the  opinion,  that  the 
funds  of  the  mission  could  be  properly  employed  in  sus- 
taining such  schools  only,  as  could  be  brought  under  a 
decidedly  Christian  influence,  by  direct  religious  instruc- 
tion, and  in  which  the  Bible  was  a principal  text-book. 
At  the  same  time,  they  agreed  in  attaching  no  small 


THE  EDUCATIONAL  QUESTION. 


351 


importance  to  Christian  schools  and  seminaries,  as  auxil- 
iaries in  the  work  of  Christian  missions.  In  the  language 
of  Dr.  Lobdell,  they  thought  “schools  and  preaching 
better  than  preaching  alone ; ” and  they  were  convinced 
that  “ the  amount  necessary  to  sustain  a seminary  (on  a 
small  scale  at  first),  at  Mosul,  would  do  more  service  than 
if  spread  among  the  people  directly.”  Accordingly,  Mr. 
Williams  commenced  the  instruction  of  four  young  men, 
who  were  expected  to  form  the  nucleus  of  a seminary. 

This  question,  of  education  as  related  to  missions, 
which  has  been  discussed  with  so  much  zeal  and  ability, 
in  the  churches  at  home  as  well  as  among  the  missionaries, 
— like  that  to  which  we  have  before  adverted,  the  duty 
of  missionaries  in  regard  to  contributions  to  the  advance- 
ment of  learning,  — does  not  admit  of  a universal  answer. 
It  is  chiefly  a question  of  time  and  circumstances.  At  the 
proper  time  and  place,  Christian  schools  and  colleges  are 
quite  as  essential  to  the  progress  and  permanence  of 
Christianity  among  Pagans,  and  Mohammedans,  and 
deluded  Christians,  as  in  any  part  of  Protestant  Christen- 
dom. Of  the  time  and  place,  the  missionaries  are,  of 
course,  the  best  judges.  But  that  American  Christians, 
who  have  just  been  awakened  to  a new  conviction  of  the 
unspeakable  value  of  Christian  colleges  to  all  their  own 
social,  political,  and  religious  institutions,  will  renounce 
the  principle  of  education  in  their  missions,  — that  they, 
who  have  recently  begun  to  open  their  purses  freely  for 
the  support  of  Christian  colleges  and  seminaries  at  home, 
will  be  unwilling  to  aid  similar  institutions  abroad,  when 
in  the  opinion  of  the  missionaries,  they  are  needed  to 
perpetuate  a learned  and  godly  ministry,  or  an  intelligent 
and  pious  laity,  — to  believe  this  were  a reflection  at 
once  upon  their  consistency,  their  intelligence,  and  their 
liberality. 

The  members  of  the  Assyrian  mission  were  greatly 
cheered,  at  this  time,  by  the  arrival  of  an  English  consul 


352 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


at  Diarbekr.  But  about  the  same  time,  they  were  under 
the  reluctant  necessity  of  closing  the  schools  which  they 
had  opened  at  Nahrwan,  Jezireh,  and  Azuk,  because  of 
the  disturbed  state  of  the  country,  which  Dr.  Lobdell  thus 
describes,  in  his  letter  of  Dec.  15th,  to  Dr.  Pomroy : 
“ Yezdinshir  Bey,  a son  of  Mir  Saif  ed  Din,  the  Abasside, 
from  whom  Beder  Khan  Bey,  his  brother,  wrested  the 
chieftainship  of  the  Koords  about  Jezireh  some  years  ago, 
is  now  in  rebellion,  and  it  is  likely  that  his  example  will 
be  followed  by  other  chiefs,  so  that  all  the  forces  of  Koor- 
distan  may  soon  be  organized  against  the  Turks.  Since 
the  defeat  of  Beder  Khan  Bey  by  Omar  Pasha,  at  Deir 
Guleh,  and  his  banishment  by  the  Porte  to  Candia,  this 
nephew  of  his,  Yezdinshir  Bey,  has  been  confined  in 
Mosul,  though  not  so  confined  as  to  prevent  our  receiving 
frequent  visits  from  him.  His  character  may  be  known 
from  the  remark  he  once  made  to  me,  that  he  would  like 
to  drink  the  blood  of  every  Yezidee,  Jew,  and  Christian, 
excepting  his  particular  friends,  such  as  myself.*  A short 
time  since,  he  received  permission  from  the  government 
to  organize  five  thousand  Koords,  and  conduct  them  to 
Anatolia.  He  arrived  at  Jezireh  with  a part  of  them, 
and  there,  under  pretense  of  rectifying  certain  disorders, 
created  by  the  Turkish  governor  and  council,  and  Sulei- 
man Bey,  the  chief  of  the  irregular  cavalry,  he  commanded 
three  members  of  the  mejlis  to  be  beaten  to  death  with 
clubs,  and  then  proclaimed  himself  governor.  Osman 
Pasha,  from  Mardin,  gathered  a large  force  of  mounted 
Arabs  and  Albanians,  and  a few  hundred  Kizam  at  Zakho, 
on  the  Assyrian  Khabour,  preparatory  to  an  attack  on 
the  Koords.  Before  leaving  Zakho,  they  were  themselves 
attacked  by  Mansur  Bey,  a brother  of  the  rebel,  but  suc- 
ceeded in  putting  the  assailants  to  flight.  After  the 
usual  Turkish  delays,  Osman  Pasha  put  his  forces  in 


* See  an  illustration  of  the  bigotry  of  this  same  Bey  at  p.  324. 


A TURKISH  SIEGE. 


353 


motion,  and  undertook  the  siege  of  Jezireh.  Mr.  J.  II. 
McCoan,  a correspondent  of  the  London  Daily  News,  who 
had  been  robbed  while  traveling  with  the  post  from  Mosul 
towards  Constantinople,*  and  who  was  forced  to  flee  to  the 
Turkish  camp,  gave  us,  on  his  return  here,  a full  account 
of  the  attack  and  defense.  It  is  evident  that  the  Koords 
were  much  the  braver  there,  whatever  they  may  have 
been  in  battle  with  the  Russians  at  Kars  and  Bayazid. 
The  Turks  numbered  about  five  thousand  men.  It  is 
uncertain  what  number  of  Koords  were  in  the  town.  All 
the  wealthy  Christians  fled,  as  soon  as  they  heard  of  the 
usurpation.  The  siege,  as  narrated  to  us  by  our  Irish 
friend,  was  a ludicrous  affair.  He  saw  only  eight  men 
killed,  after  a fight  of  three  days.  The  besiegers  had 
four  cannon,  but  they  could  not  hit  the  town , and  after 
many  ineffectual  attempts,  were  fain  to  give  up  the  effort. 
Mr.  McCoan  persuaded  them  to  let  him  try.  Under  his 
direction,  they  succeeded  in  killing  a buffalo  inside  the 
city,  and  perhaps  two  men ! At  length  he  was  so  success- 
ful as  to  strike  with  a ball  a minaret,  and  one  of  the  gates 
in  the  city  wall ; and  these  were  considered  such  marks 
of  valor  and  skill,  that  the  pasha  yielded  to  his  request, 
and  furnished  him  a guard  back  to  Mosul.  The  town,  of 
course,  was  not  taken.  Attempts  were  made,  in  vain,  to 
induce  the  rebel  to  return  to  Mosul,  a safe  conduct  being 
promised  him  by  the  authorities.  Osman  Pasha’s  forces, 
at  length,  scattered  away,  and  he  himself  retreated  to 
Mardin. 

“ Meanwhile,  Yezdinshir  Bey,  leaving  the  command  of 
Jezireh  to  his  brother,  is  reported  to  have  taken  Sert, 
and  to  have  given  Zakho  to  the  son  of  Said  Bey,  whom 

* This  post  went  under  an  escort  of  a hundred  soldiers.  Mr.  McCoan  was 
robbed  of  all  his  MSS.,  pistols,  and  other  baggage.  The  mail  also  was  robbed. 
The  missionaries,  — or  their  friends,  — lost  many  letters.  Fortunately,  through 
fear,  a large  amount  of  money  and  pearls,  which  were  to  have  been  sent  by  the 
pasha  and  the  merchants  to  Constantinople,  were  detained  for  a safer  oppor- 
tunity. 


30* 


354 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


Beder  Khan  Bey  killed,  as  a rival,  about  the  time  of  the 
first  Nestorian  massacre.  Naamet  Agha,  chief  of  the 
Zibar  Koords,  who  robbed  Dr.  Bacon’s  party  in  1851,  and 
Alamet  Effendi,  of  Amadieh,  are  marching  their  retainers, 
professedly,  to  the  aid  of  the  government ; but  lest  their 
aid  should  prove  opposition,  a detachment  of  the  troops 
in  Mosul  are  now  on  their  way  with  cannon  to  the  castle 
of  Amadieh.  We  wait  with  much  interest,  though  with 
no  particular  anxiety,  to  see  whereunto  these  things  will 
grow. 

“ The  Arabs  are  plundering,  ad  libitum , between  Bus- 
rah  and  Baghdad,  coming  up  even  to  the  gates  of  the  latter 
city.  Communication  is  irregular  and  insecure  in  all 
directions.  Our  last  Constantinople  post,  due  here  Nov. 
23d,  was  delayed  twenty  days.  That  due  on  the  7th  of 
December  will  probably  be  delayed  quite  as  long,  as  not 
only  the  Koords  are  troublesome,  but  also  the  Shammar 
Arabs.  The  last  post  for  Constantinople  was  obliged  to 
pass  through  the  desert,  instead  of  taking  the  usual  route 
on  the  east  bank  of  the  Tigris.  Even  then  it  was  forced 
to  stop  at  Tel  Afr,  two  days  from  Mosul,  for  fear  of  the 
Arabs.  The  preceding  post,  as  I have  already  said,  was 
robbed  by  the  Koords.  We  have  advised  Ishak  and 
Moshiel,  the  deacons  sent  to  preach  in  Bootan  by  our 
Oroomiah  brethren,  to  keep  away  from  that  region  while 
the  country  is  in  so  disturbed  a state. 

“ The  dignitaries  who  plotted  a rebellion  here  last  sum- 
mer have,  for  the  most  part,  been  banished  to  different 
parts  of  the  empire.  We  pursue  our  work  in  the  city 
without  interruption  from  the  political  troubles  that 
agitate  the  land ; and  we  have  so  much  reason  to  hope 
that  the  desert  and  the  mountains  will  before  long  be  safe 
for  travelers  and  missionaries,  that  we  have  no  hesitation 
in  urging  you  to  send  out  men  as  fast  as  you  can,  for  the 
field  is  white  to  the  harvest. 

“ It  becomes  our  duty  to  notice  a late  dastardly  act  insti- 


BURIAL  GROUND  WITHOUT  THE  WALLS. 


355 


gated  by  our  papal  enemies.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
we  were  compelled  to  lay  the  remains  of  Mrs.  Williams, 
last  July,  in  the  potter’s  field,  as  she  died  outside  of  the 
city  gates,  and  an  ancient  superstition  forbids  the  dead  to 
be  brought  into  the  town.  A child  of  Mr.  Marsh  was 
soon  after  laid  by  her  side.  W e naturally  began  to  feel 
the  necessity  of  providing  for  ourselves  a cemetery.  As 
the  American  friends  of  those  pioneer  missionaries,  who 
were  buried  in  the  Jacobite  and  Papal  churches,  had  con- 
tributed a considerable  sum  to  purchase  and  enclose  a 
burial  ground  for  the  Protestants,  we  at  first  procured  a 
piece  of  ground  within  the  city  walls,  but  it  seemed  best 
at  length  to  dispose  of  this  and  obtain  another  outside  of 
the  city,  that  our  dead  might  lie  together.  * Hence  we 
procured,  in  the  name  of  a papal  Syrian,  a plot  eighty  feet 
square,  a mile  beyond  the  city  walls,  and  far  beyond  all 
the  Moslem  burial  grounds,  aiming  to  avoid  every  thing 
that  could  possibly  offend  the  prejudices  of  any.  A slight 
wall  was  erected  around  it,  and  about  the  first  of  Novem- 
ber we  removed  to  it,  and  buried  in  the  following  order, 
near  the  western  wall,  the  remains  of  Henry  Marsh,  Mrs. 
Williams,  Mr.  Hinsdale  and  child,  Mrs.  Laurie,  Mrs. 
Mitchell,  Dr.  Grant. 

“ F or  a whole  month  not  a whisper  of  dissatisfaction 
was  heard  from  any  one,  though  our  proceedings  were  all 
open,  and  the  cemetery  was  in  sight  from  the  barracks  and 
parade  ground  before  the  pasha’s  palace.  Our  first  oppo- 
sition came  in  the  shape  of  a complaint  from  the  pasha 
to  the  English  consul,  by  whose  advice  we  had  built  the 
wall  and  made  the  interments.  We  therefore  wrote  in 
reply  to  the  pasha’s  complaint,  that,  if  in  removing  the 


* The  native  Protestants  were  averse  to  burying  without  the  walls,  like 
1 Mohammedans  and  heathens.  The  missionaries  preferred  a cemetery  outside.  But 
they  had  yielded  their  preference.  The  papists,  however,  did  every  thing  in 
their  power  to  drive  them  from  the  burial  ground  which  they  purchased  within 
the  walls.  And  when,  in  the  providence  of  God,  their  dead  could  not  all  be 
laid  there,  they  gave  it  up,  and  went  outside  the  city. 


356 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


remains  of  our  friends  to  the  cemetery,  we  had  violated  any 
statute  of  the  realm,  (for  being  strangers  we  could  not  be 
supposed  to  be  acquainted  with  the  whole  Turkish  code), 
we  desired  the  assistance  of  His  Excellency  so  to  represent 
our  case  to  the  Sublime  Porte,  that  we  might  obtain, 
through  the  clemency  of  His  Majesty  the  Sultan,  license  to 
retain  the  piece  of  ground  which  we  had  enclosed.  We 
remarked  that  we  are,  like  others,  heirs  of  death,  and  that 
since  His  Majesty  the  Sultan  had  graciously  given  us  per- 
mission to  reside  within  his  dominions,  it  followed,  as  a 
necessity,  that  we  needed  a place  to  bury  our  dead. 

“ The  pasha  having  intimated  his  intention  to  refer  the 
case  to  Constantinople,  we  caused  the  men  who  were 
delivering  tombstones  to  suspend  their  labor.  We 
were  therefore  greatly  surjDrised  to  learn,  soon  after  the 
last  mail  for  Stamboul  was  closed,  that  the  pasha  had 
seized  the  innocent  Syrian  who  j^rocured  the  field  for  us 
from  a prominent  member  of  the  Council,  imprisoned  him, 
and  declared  the  contract  null,  on  the  ground  that  the 
Sultan’s  land  can  not  be  sold,  though  similar  cases  of  sale 
are  continually  occurring  throughout  Turkey.  The  poor 
man  was  forced  to  receive  back  the  price  of  the  field,  and 
give  orders  for  the  wall  around  it  to  be  knocked  down. 
The  deed  was  done,  and  the  stones  at  the  graves  were 
pulled  up  and  scattered ! 

“ The  report  is  circulating  that  we  are  about  to  be 
driven  out  of  Mosul.  Still  we  believe  that  our  work  was 
never  before  so  prosperous  as  it  is  this  day.  So  long  as 
we  can  visit  from  house  to  house,  enlarge  our  schools,  and 
preach  to  an  audience  of  eighty  persons  daily,  we  surely 
have  no  reason  to  murmur  at  the  persecutions  of  those 
who  know  not  what  they  do. 

“ I can  not  close  my  letter  without  alluding  to  the  great 
joy  we  all  felt  on  the  receipt  of  your  letter,  informing  us 
of  the  action  of  the  Board  at  Hartford,  on  the  momentous 
subject  of  slavery.  We  had  many  fears  that  the  silence 


PERSECUTION. 


357 


of  the  Board  on  that  subject  would  greatly  injure  its 
efficiency.” 

Every  day  developed  new  evidence  of  a continued  and 
desperate  elfort  to  crush  the  Protestant  cause.  At  a 
council  of  the  dignitaries  of  the  Chaldean  church,  it  was 
resolved  to  raise  contributions  for  the  express  purpose  of 
inducing  the  Protestants,  by  bribes  and  ]3romises,  to  return 
to  their  old  communions.  A document  from  the  Pope 
was  read  in  the  papal  churches  requiring  the  faithful  to 
pray  for  the  success  of  their  Christian  Majesties  against  the 
Russians,  for  the  speedy  establishment  of  peace,  and  that 
the  American  missionaries  may  be  expelled  from  Turkey. 

The  rulers  of  all  the  Christian  sects  united  in  a renewed 
petition  to  the  Porte  to  forbid  the  rating  of  Protestants, 
like  other  sects,  at  fifty  piastres  a house.  The  Jacobite, 
who  built  the  house  for  the  missionaries  at  Deira,  before 
he  was  allowed  to  take  a wife,  was  obliged  to  give  bonds 
in  the  sum  of  five  thousand  piastres,  that  he  would  not 
turn  Protestant.  And  when  Jeremiah,  as  wakeel  or  head 
of  the  Protestant  community,  went  to  the  pasha,  to  enroll, 
as  usual,  the  names  of  certain  persons  who  were  desirous 
of  becoming  Protestants,  instead  of  receiving  him  respect- 
fully  as  aforetime,  the  pasha  began  to  heap  insults  upon 
him,  charging  him  with  being  the  cause  of  continual  com- 
plaints from  all  the  Christian  sects,  a brawler  and  unclean  ; 
and  he  then  ordered  him  never  to  come  into  his  presence 
again,  under  penalty  of  being  banished  from  Mosul.  The 
missionaries,  of  course,  took  suitable  measures  to  secure 
their  rights  by  representing  their  grievances  at  Constanti- 
nople. But  so  far  from  being  alarmed  or  disheartened, 
they  thanked  God  and  took  courage,  seeing  in  this  com- 
bined opposition  a proof  that  the  leaven  of  the  gospel  was 
working  powerfully,  and  fully  believing  that  it  would  be 
overruled  for  good.  And,  in  the  face  of  opposition  and 
prohibition,  they  did,  in  fact,  enjoy  more  access  to  the 
people  and  even  to  the  ecclesiastics,  than  they  had  ever 
had  before. 


358 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


Having  received  from  the  archbishop  of  the  Jacobites  a 
semi-official  intimation  that  he  desired  to  contrive  some 
“ plan  of  union,”  they  offered  to  cooperate  with  him  in 
reforming  the  abuses  of  his  church,  provided  he  would 
discontinue  the  use  of  a dead  language  (Syriac)  in  the 
church  service,  preach  the  pure  gospel,  cease  to  counte- 
nance prayers  for  the  dead,  prayers  to  saints  and  to  the 
Virgin,  auricular  confession,  the. pretense  of  the  real  pres- 
ence in  the  Eucharist,  and,  in  general,  all  practices  con- 
trary to  the  W ord  of  God.  They  offered  to  open  two 
schools  for  the  Jacobites,  on  condition  that  only  Arabic 
should  be  taught  in  them,  that  the  Scriptures  should  be 
the  basis  of  all  the  religious  instruction  given,  that  the 
text-books  of  the  mission  should  be  used,  that  they  should 
have  a voice  in  the  selection  of  teachers,  and  have  so 
much  personal  connection  with  the  schools  as  to  be  sure 
that  the  conditions  were  complied  with.  These  terms 
were  considered  too  hard  by  the  archbishop,  and,  as  the 
mission  had  no  others  to  offer,  the  negotiation  ceased. 

At  the  festival  of  Mar  Elias,  at  an  old  convent  a short 
distance  from  the  city,  Dr.  Lobdell,  being  present,  was 
obliged  to  take  the  highest  seat  at  the  services,  and  to 
dine  with  the  priests  ; and  he  was  invited  to  discuss  reli- 
gious topics,  as  he  would  not  have  been  two  years  before. 

The  scarlet  fever  raging  very  violently  at  Mosul  in  the 
autumn  of  1854,  — a new  disease  there,  and  exciting  for 
that  reason  no  small  alarm — gave  the  Doctor  unusual 
access  to  all  sects  and  all  classes  of  the  people.  Accom- 
panied often  by  one  of  his  missionary  brethren,  he  went 
from  house  to  house,  and  found  an  open  door  for  the 
preaching  of  the  truth  as  well  as  the  administering  of 
medicines. 

In  the  last  chapter,  we  saw  Dr.  Lobdell  longing  wTith  all 
a boy’s  fondness,  and  expressing  his  desire  with  all  a boy’s 
frankness,  for  those  luxuries  of  his  own  New  England  — 
ice  cream  and  maple  sugar.  We  now  find  him  rejoicing 


LETTER  FROM  NIMROOD. 


350 


over  the  arrival  of  an  article  that  smacked  scarcely  less  of 
America  — several  mule-loads  of  potatoes,  from  Oroomiah ; 
and  ordering  another  cargo  from  the  same  source  for  his 
friend  Loft  us  at  Koyunjik. 

Passing  over  the  major  part,  both  of  the  journal  and 
letters  of  this  period,  in  which  there  is  the  usual  variety 
amid  uniformity  — the  same  routine  of  daily  preaching 
and  teaching  at  the  dispensary,  in  the  study  and  from 
house  to  house,  with  an  endless  diversity  in  the  number, 
character,  and  condition  of  the  bodily  and  spiritual  patients, 
and  an  occasional  sprinkling  of  talks  with  English  anti- 
quarians, rides  to  Koyunjik,  study  of  the  geology  of  the 
country,  * examination  and  purchase  of  coins,  &c.,  &c.  — 
a letter  to  his  brother  takes  us  to,  or  rather  finds  us  at 
Nimrood,  where  the  letter  was  written  December  29th, 
1854 : “ While  I am  waiting  here  for  my  men  to  uncover 

the  slabs,  which  I am  preparing  to  send  to  America,  I pro- 
pose to  tell  you  something  about  my  operations.  Having 
written  so  far  with  my  lead  pencil,  I find  it  best  to  make 
use  of  some  ink  discovered  by  the  servant  of  Mr.  Loftus 
in  the  hut,  where  I write  — the  same  described  so  elo- 
quently by  Mr.  Layard  in  his  first  work.  It  has  lately  been 
floored  with  bricks  from  the  palace  of  the  son  of  Sardana- 
palus,  and  its  walls  have  received  a coating  of  ground 
gypsum,  which,  you  know,  is  the  stone  of  the  Nineveh 
sculptures  — but  few  of  them  are  of  limestone  or  sand- 
stone — and  with  which  this  part  of  the  valley  of  the  Tigris 
is  bedded.  The  roof  of  the  establishment  is  newly  cov- 
ered with  reeds  and  mud ; a neat  firejolace  offers  facilities 
for  the  consumption  of  brush  from  the  banks  of  the  Great 
Zab,  which  is  about  two  hours  distant  by  gallop;  the 
rough  door,  with  wooden  hinges  and  a gigantic  bolt,  allows 


* While  riding  with  Capt.  Loftus,  Dr.  Lobdell  made  the  first  discovery  of  the 
quarries  from  which  the  limestone  blocks  at  Nimrood  were  taken.  The  lime- 
stone underlies  the  gypsum,  which  is  the  prevailing  formation,  and  which  is 
the  material  of  the  sculptured  slabs. 


860 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


the  free  circulation  of  air;  a window  frame  is  covered 
with  copies  of  Galignani’s  Messenger;  and  heavy  benches 
stand  on  the  sides  of  the  room,  answering  the  double 
purpose  of  seats  and  beds.  My  saddle-bags,  in  which  I 
brought  my  bedding  and  cloak,  with  my  saddle  and  sack 
of  tin  dishes  and  eatables ; a long  spear,  four  plank  chairs, 
a few"  bricks  with  arrow-headed  letters  on  the  sides  and 
ends,  and  an  antique  bureau,  covered  vrith  terra-cotta  vases 
and  copper  Assyrian  ornaments,  complete  the  furniture  of 
the  room. 

“An  adjoining  room  is  nearly  filled  with  antiques  — 
glass,  vases  of  clay,  bricks,  pieces  of  marble,  and  tablets  — 
while  great  slabs,  carved  with  priestly  or  divine  forms, 
and  glorified  kings  and  eunuchs,  stand  against  the  outer 
walls  of  the  building.  The  village  of  Nimrood  lies  all 
about  it  — a dirty,  wretched  representation  of  the  old 
Nimrood,  or  the  Larissa,  which  Xenophon  so  well  describes 
in  his  record  of  the  retreat  from  Cuanaxa.  The  pyramid 
he  speaks  of,  occupies  the  northwest  angle  of  the  great 
mound,  where  Layard  uncovered  so  many  interesting  me- 
morials. This  is  my  sixth  visit  to  these  ruins,  which,  you 
may  remember,  are  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Tigris,  a 
mile  from  the  river,  and  about  twenty  miles,  or  4 six  para - 
sangs ,’  from  Mosul.  If  Nebbi  Yunus  represents  Mespila, 
as  I believe  it  does,  Xenophon’s  measurement  of  the  dis- 
tance from  Larissa  was  exact. 

“ But  you  will  ask  me  why  and  how  I got  here  so  late 
in  December.  Well,  you  should  know  that  now  the  whole 
country  is  becoming  green ; that  not  a flake  of  snow  falls 
here  except  in  the  extremest  cold  weather ; that  the  farm- 
ers are  now  plowing  with  their  wooden  plows,  drawn  by 
asses,  steers,  or  steers  and  asses  / and  that  I am  engaged 
in  superintending  the  sawing,  packing,  marking,  and  for- 
warding of  forty-seven  boxes  of  sculptures  — not  forty- 
seven  slabs,  but  twelve,  besides  a dozen  bricks.  Six  of 
the  slabs  are  for  Dr.  Wright,  of  Oroomiah.  The  other  six 


NINEVEH  GALLERY  AT  AMHERST. 


361 


are  the  property  of  us  missionaries  at  Mosul  — two  each. 
Those  of  Dr.  Wright  will  go  to  Dartmouth  College  and 
the  University  of  Virginia,  I expect,  and  the  others  will 
be  kept  at  Mosul,  till  we  get  orders  for  them  from  America. 
I believe  Dr.  Hitchcock  requested  me  to  send  more  to 
Amherst ; but  I think  the  request  was  made  before  he 
received  the  slabs  I sent ; and  hence  I do  not  feel  author- 
ized, exactly,  to  send  them.  I intend,  however,  to  send 
to  Amherst,  by  the  caravan  that  takes  Dr.  Wright’s  slabs 
to  the  Mediterranean,  a box  of  geological  sj^ecimens  and 
articles  of  oriental  apparel.  I have  quite  a collection  of 
coins  which  dervishes  brought  me,  of  which  I shall  some 
time  send  a lot  to  Amherst,  and  the  rest  to  the  Boston 
Athenasum,  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  Professor  Salis- 
bury, or  some  body  else ! 

“ My  hands  are  full  — perhaps  too  full  — of  missionary 
labor.  My  antiquarian  performances  are  simply  recrea- 
tion. I would  rather  talk  to  such  a gathering  as  I have 
daily  in  my  study,  than  to  explore  antiquities,  write  a 
great  book,  or  preach  twice  a week  to  a thousand  wealthy 
and  fashionable  hearers  in  New  York  city.  This  is  labor- 
ing for  eternity.  Oh  that  it  may  not  be  in  vain ! This 
life  seems  more  than  ever  a vapor  — a flower  — a breath.” 

The  successive  instalments  of  sculptures,  and  the  greater 
part  of  the  coins,  cylinders,  and  bricks,  which  Dr.  Lobdell 
collected,  have  reached  Amherst,  and  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  Dr.  Hitchcock  — who  has  manifested  scarcely 
less  interest  in  these  ^footprints  of  former  generations  of 
men  than  in  the  ichnolites  of  the  pre-adamite  earth  in 
his  cabinet,  — and  through  the  liberality  of  several  friends 
of  the  college,  and  especially  of  Enos  Dickinson,  Esq.,  of 
South  Amherst,  they  have  found  a fit  resting  place  in  the 
Nineveh  Gallery  of  Amherst  College.  This  room,  con- 
structed after  the  model  of  some  of  the  smaller  rooms  in 
31 


362 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


the  exhumed  Assyrian  palaces*  — is  sixteen  feet  long, 
twelve  feet  wide,  lighted  from  the  roof,  paved  with  imita- 
tions of  Assyrian  bricks,  paneled  to  the  height  of  seven 
or  eight  feet  with  slabs  from  Nimrood,  the  remainder  of 
the  walls  covered  with  copies  in  stucco  of  some  of  the 
most  remarkable  of  the  kings  and  gods  sketched  in  La- 
yard’s  works,  (among  the  rest  the  representation  of  Sen- 
nacherib at  the  siege  of  Lachish.)  There  are,  besides,  two 
or  three  horizontal  cases  filled  with  various  relics  of  As- 
syrian and  Babylonian  antiquity.  The  contents  of  this 
Museum  are  classified  and  described  as  follows  by  Mr. 
Charles  Hitchcock,  who  has  interested  himself  not  a little 
in  the  arrangement  and  exhibition,  especially  of  the  coins.f 

I.  Sculptures.  Of  these,  No.  1 is  one  of  the  oldest  found 
in  the  ruins.  It  is  the  Nisroch  of  Scripture,  (2d  Kings, 
19:37;  Isa.  37:38;)  the  god  of  Sennacherib  and  the 
Assyrian  kings  — a small  and  richly  dressed  human  figure 
with  wings  and  the  head  of  an  eagle,  from  which,  in  the 
Aramaean  languages,  it  derives  its  name.  The  whole  of 
the  sacred  tree  is  on  this  specimen. 

No.  2 is  a two-horned  divinity.  The  figure  is  seven  and 
a half  feet  high,  with  enormous  wings  upon  his  shoulders, 
a basket  in  his  right  hand,  and  in  his  extended  left  hand, 
a cone  somewhat  like  a pineapple.  Half  of  the  sacred 
tree  is  upon  each  side  of  the  figure,  forming  a border. 
Across  the  entire  breadth  of  this  slab  (and  also  upon  the 
others)  and  forming  a strip  eighteen  inches  wide,  the 
surface  is  covered  with  an  inscription  in  cuneiform  char- 
acters. 

No.  3 is  a three-horned  divinity,  which  differs  from  the 
preceding  only  in  the  number  of  horns.  These  are  quite 
short  and  might  easily  be  mistaken  for  fillets. 

*The  rooms,  even  in  the  most  magnificent  palaces,  are  narrow  — generally 
not  wider  than  the  Nineveh  Gallery  at  Amherst. 

t For  a very  neat  and  accurate  catalogue  of  the  coins,  the  Museum  is  indebted 
to  the  scholarly  taste  and  habits  of  Prof.  Edward  Tuckerman,  professor  of 
history  in  the  college. 


CONTENTS  OF  TIIE  GALLERY. 


363 


No.  4 represents  king  Sardanapalus,  having  a bow  in 
one  hand  and  a censer  in  the  other,  as  if  offering  incense 
upon  his  return  from  Avar.  Dr.  Lobdell  humorously 
describes  this  slab  as  the  first  king  ever  sent  to  the  United 
States. 

No.  5 is  a filleted  divinity.  The  general  appearance  of 
this  sculpture  corresponds  Avith  that  of  the  horned  divini- 
ties, except  that  his  head  is  covered  with  fillets,  the  left 
hand  holds  a branch  of  the  sacred  tree,  and  the  right  hand 
is  lifted  up  as  if  in  the  act  of  speaking  or  commanding. 

No.  6 is  Nisroch  — the  same  as  No.  1. 

II.  Bricks.  There  are  six  large  bricks,  varying  in  length 
from  tweRe  to  eighteen  inches,  from  the  palace  of  Sar- 
danapalus  at  Nimrood  and  from  Babylon. 

III.  Antiques.  These  consist  of  a large  number  of  beau- 
tiful gems  (chalcedony  and  chameleon)  from  Mecca  and 
Greece ; Babylonian,  Sassanian,  and  Assyrian  cylinders 
(chiefly  serpentine,  chalcedony,  and  chameleon ;)  Sassa- 
nian, early  Persian,  later  Persian,  Greek,  IlebreAV,  and 
Cufic  seals ; alabaster  fragments  of  jars ; fragments  of  a 
winged  bull,  one  of  which  contains  a fossil  shell,  the  Pte- 
roceras ; and  numerous  inscriptions  from  Babylon,  Avith 
very  many  other  miscellaneous  articles. 

IY.  Modern  miscellaneous  articles.  Of  these  there  are 
more  than  a hundred,  consisting  of  bracelets,  shoes,  lamps, 
spoons,  pipes,  escritoires,  &c.,  all  of  which  are  noAV  in  use 
in  Mesopotamia. 

V.  Coins.  There  are  fifteen  Greek  silver  coins,  tAvelve  of 
Avliich  (nine  tetraclrachms  and  three  drachms)  Avere  coined 
by  Alexander  the  Great ; thirty-one  silver  drachms  of  the 
Seleucidae ; thirteen  Greek  copper  coins ; eighteen  silver 
coins  of  the  Arsacidas  ; three  of  the  Sassanidae,  the  succes- 
sors of  the  Arsacidae  in  Persia ; sixty-three  Roman  silver 
coins,  from  Vespasian  to  Alexander  Se\Terus;  forty-eight 
Roman  copper  coins ; forty-nine  copper  coins  of  the  East- 
ern Empire ; eight  silver,  and  two  hundred  and  sixty 


364 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


copper  Cufic  coins  of  the  olcl  Mohammedan  princes;  fifteen 
medallions  of  brass,  having  the  figures  of  saints ; and  two 
old  seal  rings : making  in  all  five  hundred  and  twenty-five. 

Besides  these  contributions  for  the  Nineveh  Gallery, 
Dr.  Lobdell  sent  two  or  three  hundred  specimens  for  the 
geological  cabinet,  illustrating  the  tertiary  deposits  around 
Mosul,  and  the  other  formations  in  Mesopotamia  and  the 
Koordish  mountains. 

The  name  of  Dr.  Lobdell  is  inscribed,  as  well  it  may 
be,  in  a conspicuous  place  in  this  Museum ; and  under  it 
might  well  have  been  placed  the  inscription  which  accom- 
panies the  name  of  Sir  Christopher  Wren  in  St.  Paul’s 
Church  in  London  : “ Si  vis  monumentum,  circumspice.” 
Whoever  visits  the  Nineveh  Gallery  at  Amherst,  sees  all 
about  him  a monument  at  once  of  Dr.  Lobdell’s  filial 
affection  for  his  alma  mater,  and  of  his  zeal  and  industry 
in  the  collection  and  study  of  antiquities.  Nor  was  it 
merely  as  an  antiquarian  and  a scholar,  that  he  felt  an 
interest  in  the  colossal  and  majestic  forms  which  guarded 
the  entrances  and  lined  the  halls  of  those  old  Assyrian 
palaces.  He  looked  on  them  also  with  the  eye  of  a 
Christian  philosopher  and  a student  of  the  Bible.  He 
beheld  them,  not  with  the  idolatrous  veneration  of  the 
ancient  Assyrians,  nor  yet  with  the  iconoclastic  fanaticism 
of  the  modern  Mohammedans,  but  with  the  religious 
awe,  mingled  with  compassion,  which  an  enlightened  and 
candid  mind  can  scarcely  refrain  from  feeling  in  the  pres- 
ence of  objects  that  have  once  stirred  the  deepest  and 
most  sacred  emotions  of  the  human  heart,  even  though  it 
be  a heart  that  has  lost  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God. 
He  saw  in  them  the  symbols  by  which  one  of  the  oldest 
and  greatest  nations  of  the  earth  represented  their  ideas  of 
religion,  of  worship,  and  of  God.  They  reminded  him, 
as  they  must  remind  any  one  who  has  seen  them,  or  only 
copies  of  them,  and  who  is,  at  the  same  time,  an  intelligent 
and  thoughtful  reader  of  the  Scriptures,  of  the  cherubim 


INTERPRETATION  OF  THE  WINGED  FIGURES.  365 


that  spread  their  wings  over  the  mercy  seat,  of  the  sera- 
phim of  Isaiah,  of  the  living  creatures  of  Ezekiel,  and  of 
the  beasts,  as  the  word  is  unhappily  translated  in  our 
version  of  the  Apocalypse,  in  which,  as  in  the  winged  and 
eagle-headed  men,  and  the  winged  and  human-headed 
lions  and  bulls  of  the  Assyrian  monuments,  all  that  is 
swiftest,  and  strongest,  and  wisest,  and  greatest,  and  best 
in  the  creation,  is  combined  to  form  some  imperfect  expres- 
sion of  the  attributes  and  agency  of  the  Creator,  and  which, 
like  all  the  other  types  and  shadows  of  the  Old  Testament, 
and  the  “ unconscious  prophecies  ” of  Christianity,  which 
are  not  wanting  in  the  heathen  world,  have  all  been  ful- 
filled and  superseded  by  the  mystery  of  the  Incarnation. 
When  asked  to  give  his  interpretation  of  those  majestic 
forms,  he  replied  that  he  did  not  feel  competent  to  give 
any  authoritative  exposition  of  them ; but  if  any  one  would 
explain  the  meaning  of  the  cherubim  and  the  living  crea- 
tures, he  would  then  explain  the  signification  of  the  winged, 
horned,  and  multiform  figures  of  Assyrian  sculpture.  He 
was  not  sure  but  the  figures  with  the  basket  and  the  cone 
or  the  uplifted  hand,  in  the  attitude  of  prayer,  or  as  if  mak- 
ing an  offering,  (which  have  commonly  been  supposed  to 
be  deities,)  were  worshipers.  The  human-headed  and 
winged  lions  and  bulls  undoubtedly  represented  gods. 
“ The  sacred  vine  would  seem  to  symbolize  the  producing 
power  in  nature,  and  the  winged  figures  in  the  act  of  pre- 
senting the  cone  may  represent  the  devotion  of  the  priest- 
hood and  instrumentally  that  of  the  nation  to  this  power, 
which  is  only  another  way  of  rendering  homage  to  the 
Godhead.  And  perhaps  the  figures  generally  symbolize 
the  chief  ruling  powers,  by  which  God  carries  on  the 
operations  of  his  natural  and  providential  government.” 

Mesopotamia  and  Egypt  are  the  two  fountains  of  bibli- 
cal history.  The  patriarchs  went  out  from  the  former; 
Moses  and  the  people  under  him  went  out  from  the  latter ; 
and  the  prophets  had  much  to  do  with  both.  A full 
31* 


366 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


understanding  and  appreciation  of  the  Old  Testament, 
without  an  acquaintance  with  the  geography  and  history 
of  these  countries,  is  impossible.  How  many  volumes  of 
idle  whims  and  fanciful  conjectures  in  the  interpretation 
of  prophecy,  especially  of  Ezekiel,  Daniel,  and  the  Reve- 
lation, might  have  been  spared,  if  commentators  had  only 
been  able  to  see  these  books  in  the  light  of  the  Assyrian 
and  Egyptian  monuments.  Reading  the  Scriptures  in 
this  light,  which  the  providence  of  God  has  so  remarkably 
shed  upon  them  in  our  day,  we  not  only  see  perpetual 
demonstrations  of  their  genuineness  and  authenticity,  but 
in  every  book  we  behold  with  wonder  and  delight,  how  it  is 
at  once  the  book  of  man  and  the  book  of  God  — how  the 
body  is  of  the  earth,  but  the  spirit  is  from  heaven  — how 
the  Bible  has  taken  a form  and  coloring  from  the  countries 
where  the  several  books  were  written,  and  yet  it  has  never 
in  any  instance  borrowed  the  errors  or  imbibed  the  spirit 
of  the  idolatrous  nations  of  antiquity. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


Tour  to  Baghdad  and  Babylon  — Voyage  down  the  Tigris  — Kalah  Sherghat  — 
Tekrit  — Birth  place  of  Saladin  — Samarah  — A gorgeous  Sunset  — Palms  and 
Pomegranates  — Post  — Baghdad  — Col.  Rawlinson  — The  Residency  — Cli- 
mate — English  Hospitality  — Mr.  Bruhl  — Prof.  Petermann  — M.  Fresnel  — 
The  Belgian  Colonel  — Aleppo  Button  — Circular  Boats  — Ride  to  Babylon  — 
Canals  and  Khans — The  Count  — The  Tasha — Babel  — Birs  Ximrood — Cof- 
fins and  Tombs  — Theory  of  Babylon  — Pilgrimage  to  Kazmain  — Jewish 
Hospital  — Visit  to  the  Pasha  — Arrival  of  Mr.  Murray  — The  Steamer  — Sun- 
day Levee  — Interview  with  the  Ambassador  — Return  by  post  to  Mosul. 

The  Nestorian  mission  was  brought  by  the  war  into 
circumstances  of  trial  and  danger.  Its  success  had  already 
awakened,  in  some  measure,  the  fanaticism  of  the  Mos- 
lems and  the  jealousy  of  the  Persian  government.  And 
now  Russian  influence  was  arrayed  against  it,  with  all  its 
hostility  to  liberty  and  evangelical  Christianity,  inflamed 
by  hatred  to  England  and  to  those  who  enjoyed  English 
sympathy  and  protection.  Severe  restrictions  were  accord- 
ingly laid  upon  the  mission,  especially  in  the  educational 
department,  which  seems  to  have  been  the  object  of 
especial  dislike  and  dread ; and  these  restrictions,  it  was 
feared,  might  be  only  the  commencement  of  aggressive 
measures,  which  would  end,  perhaps,  in  the  destruction  of 
the  schools  and  the  mission  itself. 

Under  these  circumstances,  the  missionaries,  at  the  sug- 
gestion of  Mr.  Stevens,  late  English  consul  at  Tabreez, 
requested  Dr.  Lobdell,  whose  recent  visit  to  Oroomiah 
made  him  perfectly  acquainted  with  the  state  of  the  mis- 
sion, to  go  to  Baghdad  and  lay  their  case  before  the  new 
English  ambassador  to  Persia,  Mr.  Murray,  who  was  ex- 
pected to  be  there,  on  his  way  from  Alexandria  to  Tehran 
about  the  tenth  of  January.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  a raft 


368 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


could  be  prepared,  the  Doctor  set  out  for  Baghdad,  fur- 
nished with  letters  of  introduction,  and  charged  with 
commissions  from  Mr.  Loftus  at  Koyunjik,  and  from  the 
French  consul  at  Mosul,  to  the  French  and  English  func- 
tionaries and  other  friends  of  theirs  in  the  city  of  the 
caliphs.  Three  boxes  of  wine,  two  sacks  of  potatoes,  and 
a barrel  of  pickles,  formed  part  of  the  cargo  thus  con- 
signed to  his  care.  His  company  consisted  of  “ four  Arab 
guards,  dirty,  ragged,  and  courageous , carrying  antique 
muskets  and  swords ; two  oarsmen,  from  Tekrit ; Kaaman, 
the  cook;  Jeremiah,  the  preacher  and  interpreter;  and  a 
Turk,  late  from  the  Crimea,  who  displayed  a Russian 
watch,  guns,  and  other  trophies  taken  at  the  battle  of 
Alma.”  It  was  about  noon  on  the  tenth  of  January,  1855, 
when  the  raft  floated  from  its  moorings  opposite  Mosul. 
The  crowd  upon  the  shore,  the  palace  and  barracks  of  the 
pasha,  the  mound  of  Koyunjik,  and  the  spires  and  gaudy 
new  minaret  of  Jonah’s  tomb,  soon  faded  from  the  view. 
The  Doctor’s  attention  was  then  divided  for  a time  between 
Galignani,  the  Independent,  and  the  Journal  de  Constan- 
tinople on  deck,  and  flocks  of  black  ducks,  gray  herons, 
and  white  pelicans,  upon  the  banks  of  the  river.  At 
Hamman  Ali,  the  tall  minaret  of  Mosul  vanished  out  of 
sight,  and  near  sunset  he  passed  the  gentle  rapids  of  Nim- 
rood  without  a sacrifice  to  the  river  deity,  though  not 
without  a prayer  to  God  that  he  would  guide  the  frail 
bark  safely  to  its  destination,  and  keep  in  perfect  peace 
the  minds  of  the  loved  ones  left  behind. 

“At  dark,”  (we  quote  from  a journal  of  the  tour,  which 
he  sent  home  to  his  family  friends,  and  which  we  have 
only  to  abridge  for  the  materials  of  this  chapter,)  “the 
jackals  danced  along  the  western  bank,  making  a curious 
noise,  half  that  of  the  human  voice  and  half  that  of  a 
hyena,  reminding  one  of  the  satyrs,  of  whom  the  school- 
boy reads  in  Christendom.  At  times,  I could  scarcely 
believe  the  voices  were  not  those  of  men.  Our  Arabs 


VOYAGE  DOWN  TIIE  TIGRIS. 


369 


sung  some  guttural  sonnets,  and  I thought  of  the  reeds  on 
which  Virgil’s  bucolic  heroes  piped  their  pastoral  lays; 
the  Turk  described  the  charge  of  the  English  on  the 
heights  of  Alma;  the  rowers  plied  their  clumsy  oars,  now 
and  then  warming  their  hard  hands  and  bare  legs  by  the 
charcoal  fire ; domesticated  Arabs  hailed  us  from  the  shore; 
and  two  hours  below  Mmrood,  we  came  to  the  Great  Zab, 
which  pours  its  yellow  tide  into  the  arrowy  Tigris.  Tak- 
ing leave  of  the  clear-shining  stars,  I now  buried  myself 
for  the  frosty  night  under  quilts  and  coats,  till  midnight, 
when  I was  awakened  by  the  cry  of  ‘ Kalah  Sherghat ! 5 
I stuck  my  head  out  of  the  felt-covered  doorway,  and 
took  a look  at  the  giant  mound,  which  rises  grandly  on 
the  western  bank,  and  was  soon  after  dreaming  in  my  bed 
of  the  antiquities  which  fancy  pictured  in  its  buried  cham- 
bers. Layard  did  not  half  explore  the  mound,  and,  I doubt 
not,  it  is  yet  to  yield  up  treasures  as  precious  as  those  of 
Khorsabad. 

“11th.  The  raft  moved  quietly  on  all  night,  and  this 
morning,  as  1 awoke,  I was  greeted  by  hoar-frost  and  a 
leopard ! The  former  lasted  some  hours ; the  latter  soon 
disappeared  in  the  brush  that  lined  the  river’s  bank.  A 
rough  range  of  rocks  stretched  out  into  the  river,  but  the 
stream  was  high,  and  we  passed  it  without  difficulty. 
Water  fowl  sat  stupid  on  the  shore  as  we  passed  an  old 
castle  on  the  right  bank  — the  refuge  of  human  robbers 
and  of  vultures.  We  were  scon  at  the  Lesser  Zab,  down 
which,  from  the  region  of  Kerkuk,  a raft  of  wood  was 
floating.  A vast  number  of  camels  now  appeared  upon 
the  left,  biting  the  shrubs  and  grass,  and  their  otvners 
tried  to  induce  us  to  come  ashore  and  let  them  ask  us 
questions ! As  we  declined,  they  cried  out  that  we  were 
afraid  of  them  — which  was,  indeed,  the  fact.  They 
threw  off  their  loose  cloaks,  called  us  cowards,  and  shook 
their  swords  and  canes  in  the  air.  ‘Time  and  tide  wait 
for  no  man ; ’ neither  did  our  raft  wait  for  them. 


370 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


“ The  banks  were  tertiary ; here  and  there  grew  a bush ; 
impure  limestone  lay  above  gypsum,  though  but  for  a 
short  distance.  I passed  the  day  reading  the  sensible 
work  of  the  envoy,  whom  I was  on  my  way  to  visit  — 
‘Travels  in  North  America.’  I was  glad  to  find  him  so 
well  pleased  with  Americans,  and  augured  a favorable 
reception  for  myself.  A few  black  tents  appeared  upon 
our  left  in  the  afternoon,  but  no  one  tried  to  molest  us. 
‘Allah’  was  on  the  lips  of  my  Arabs,  whenever  they  spoke; 
but  they  admitted  they  never  prayed  in  winter  — it  was 
too  cold ! ‘ God  is  merciful,  and  pities  us  ’ — this  was 

their  creed ; and  they  cared  little  for  the  words,  ‘ Moham- 
med is  his  prophet.’ 

“We  reached  Tekrit  at  midnight.  Here  we  changed  our 
oarsmen,  who  of  course  expected  a buckshish  in  addition 
to  their  wages.  Every  raft  passing  this  place  must  pay  a 
tax  called  haj\  a sort  of  black-mail , recognized  by  govern- 
ment, but  additional  to  the  tax  on  merchandise  at  the 
custom-house  above,  from  which  it  starts.  This  Tekrit  is 
famous  as  the  birth  place  of  Saladin,  and  as  being  almost 
the  only  town  between  Mosul  and  Baghdad,  on  the  west- 
ern bank  of  the  Tigris.  As  we  arrived,  guns  were  fired 
by  our  guard,  though  one  musket  was  so  out  of  repair 
that  it  was  necessary  to  put  a rope  around  the  trigger, 
which  was  then  pulled  by  two  men,  before  it  would  go 
off!  The  guns  brought  out  the  governor  and  his  wife, 
who  said  she  had  just  laid  her  child  from  her  bosom  on 
the  mat,  and  could  only  say  to  us  in  Arabic , ‘ un  bon 
voyage,’  and  then  returned  to  her  mud  hovel.  The  haj  is 
the  chief  source  of  income  to  this  now  wretched  place ; 
the  men  are  mostly  raftsmen.  Were  they  not  allowed 
this  tax,  they  would  plunder  every  raft  that  comes  down 
the  river. 

“ 12th.  To-day  it  grows  warmer;  we  are  fast  drawing 
near  to  the  orange  and  date  groves.  Below  Tekrit,  the 
banks  show  numerous  remains  of  antiquity.  Four  hours 


VOYAGE  DOWN  TIIE  TIGRIS. 


371 


below,  on  the  left  bank,  is  Dor,  by  some  thought  to  stand 
in  the  plain  of  Dura.  Soon  appears  on  the  same  bank 
the  tower  of  Samarah , looking  exactly  like  the  pictures 
of  Babel  in  children’s  picture-books  — a spiral  column, 
tapering  towards  the  summit — how  like  that  fabled  tower! 
A mosk,  with  its  minarets,  and  several  hundred  old 
houses,  are  near  it.  Arabs  now  occupy  the  site  of  the 
capital  of  Mutassem  Billah,  the  Abbasside  caliph,  of  whom 
such  wonderful  stories  are  told  by  the  old  Arabic  writers. 
The  Shiites,  (Mohammedans  of  Persia,)  make  pilgrimages 
to  this  mosk,  where  are  buried  some  of  the  last  Imams. 
Six  rafts,  loaded  with  brush  and  plaster  of  Paris,  (ground 
gypsum,)  from  Mosul,  lay  near  the  town,  on  their  way  to 
Baghdad. 

“ Ducks  and  pelicans  abound.  Our  Turkish  warrior  fired 
at  a fine  flock  of  the  latter ; but  he  was  less  successful,  he 
said,  in  shooting  birds  than  in  shooting  Russians!  We 
had  a gorgeous  sunset  — the  first  I have  seen  in  Assyria. 
It  quite  carried  me  back  to  Amherst.'  At  Oroomiah,  I 
saw  a splendid  sky,  but  seldom  was  the  western  horizon 
hung  with  such  gold-fringed  clouds  as  used  to  hang  over 
Northampton. 

“ See ! here  are  two  swimmers,  paddling  along  on  skins ; 
one  has  a wife  on  his  back,  the  other  a child!  Soon 
we  come  to  Belled , around  which  appear  immense  groves 
of  palms.  What  feathery  tops!  How  curiously  hangs 
the  fruit  in  its  season,  which  is  October.  The  wind 
rises  against  us ; the  current  is  less  rapid ; slowly  we  go. 

“ 13th.  We  are  near  Sindiyeh.  At  ten  a.  m.  at  IToio- 
eish,  where  the  palms  are  thick,  and  pomegranate  bushes 
fill  the  spaces  beneath  their  fringed  tops.  The  trunks  of 
the  palms  are  made  to  grow  very  long  by  trimming ; they 
are  often  a hundred  feet  high,  without  a branch. 

“ The  wind  is  so  high,  I must  leave  the  raft.  The  crew 
are  calling  on  God  and  the  Prophet  for  protection. 

“ I took  a post-horse  at  Jedideh , on  the  left  bank,  and, 


372 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


with  my  Turkish  friend,  galloped  for  several  hours  over  a 
level  tract  of  fertile  but  uncultivated  land,  to  Baghdad, 
arriving  before  sunset  within  its  gates,  and  at  the  residency 
of  the  East  India  Company’s  agent,  the  famous  Col.  Raw- 
linson  — three  days  and  a few  hours  from  Mosul.  This 
was  a very  quick  passage,  and  was  the  result  of  moving 
night  and  day  with  a high  flood. 

“ Col.  Rawlinson  had  just  broken  his  left  clavicle  by  a fall 
from  his  horse,  while  hunting  a wild  boar ; but  though 
much  bruised,  he  was  not  seriously  injured.  Boars,  hyenas, 
jackals,  wolves,  and  a few  lions,  are  found  about  here. 
Col.  Rawlinson  has  a lion  of  very  great  size  chained  on 
his  premises,  and  it  would  certainly  be  an  easy  matter  for 
him  to  chew  a man  to  shreds.  He  was  taken  near  Ctesi- 
phon,  a few  hours  below  Baghdad,  when  young;  and 
though  maneless,  as  the  lions  in  these  parts  are,  he  will  be 
sent  to  England,  whither  Col.  R.  expects  to  go  in  the 
spring.” 

Dr.  Lobdell  describes  the  residency  as  a splendid  build- 
ing for  that  part  of  the  Eastern  world,  in  the  richest  Per- 
sian style,  with  two  large  courts,  the  inner  of  which  is  the 
harem . The  chief  reception  room,  which  is  of  glass  “above 
and  on  all  sides,”  commands  a fine  view  of  the  Tigris  and 
the  palms  beyond.  The  dining  room  is  richly  furnished, 
and  looks  out  on  a beautiful  garden  of  oranges  and  lemons, 
and  tall  date-trees.  The  drawing  room  contains  some  fine 
engravings,  silvered  globes,  side-tables  of  a black  wood 
from  India,  some  curious  books  on  antiquities,  and  a very 
fine  restoration  in  black  marble  of  the  first  obelisk  discov- 
ered at  Nimrood,  covered  with  a fac-simile  of  the  inscrip- 
tions and  figures,  an  interpretation  of  which  was  published 
by  Col.  Rawlinson.  The  ceiling  of  all  the  rooms  is  orna- 
mented with  curiously  arranged  pieces  of  glass.  Paint 
can  not  keep  the  wood  from  warping  and  cracking.  The 
serdab  is  nearly  under  ground,  but  is  less  neat  than  some 
of  the  serdabs  in  Mosul,  as  it  is  made  of  brick  instead  of 


BAGHDAD. 


373 


slabs  of  gypsum.  “ Gypsum  is  expensive  here,  as  it  is 
brought  from  Mosul.  It  is  the  only  stone  seen  here.  The 
plain  for  scores  of  miles  does  not  reveal  a single  rock  or 
pebble.  From  the  meteorological  journal  kept  for  several 
years  by  Dr.  Ilyslop,  the  surgeon  of  the  residency,  I learn 
that  although  the  heat  at  Baghdad  lasts  some  two  months 
longer  than  it  does  at  Mosul,  it  seldom  pushes  the  mercury 
above  115°,  which  is  about  the  maximum  there.  The 
siroccos,  however,  are  terrible  here  in  the  autumn.  The 
houses  are  all  built  of  brick.  The  population  is  about 
sixty  thousand.  It  was  formerly  much  greater.  Plague, 
cholera,  and  fever,  have  brought  the  number  low.  The 
town  lies  chiefly  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Tigris,  though 
the  old  town  was  on  the  right  bank,  where  a wall  still,  in 
part,  surrounds  the  most  miserable  portion  of  the  city. 
These  two  parts  are  connected  by  a bridge  of  boats.” 

On  Saturday,  Jan.  13th,  the  day  of  his  arrival  at  Bagh- 
dad, Dr.  Lobdell  dined  at  Col.  Rawlinson’s  with  Dr.  Ilyslop, 
Mr.  Oakley,  “ a rich  young  gentleman,”  and  Mr.  Seecroft, 
his  traveling  tutor,  Mr.  Lynch,  the  friend  of  Mr.  Loftus, 
to  whom  the  potatoes  from  beyond  the  Koordish  moun- 
tains were  consigned,  Mr.  Hector,  another  Baghdad  mer- 
chant, and  two  or  three  clerks  of  the  residency.  lie  was 
somewhat  annoyed  at  being  introduced,  on  the  authority 
of  his  letter  from  Mr.  Loftus,  as  “ the  Rev.  Dr.  Lobdell,” 
which  grave  and  reverend  cognomen  he  thought  was  little 
in  harmony  with  his  short  beard  and  youthful  appearance. 
On  the  part  of  the  company,  every  thing  was  agreeable 
except  the  brandy,  port  and  sherry,  at  the  table,  and  the 
brandy  punch  and  billiards  after  dinner,  which  led  him 
“to  thank  God  that  he  lived  for  a higher  object  than  these 
kind-hearted  Englishmen  appeared  to  live  for.”  He  was 
able  to  contribute  at  least  one  welcome  element  to  the 
entertainment  of  the  company.  “ The  circulars  of  Dr. 
Dwight,  our  missionary  brother  at  Stamboul,  in  respect  to 
32 


374 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


the  war,  were  welcomed,  as  I was  in  advance  of  the  mail, 
though  the  post  left  Mosul  before  I did  .” 

At  half-past  ten,  on  Sunday,  the  14th,  the  English  ser- 
vice was  read  in  the  drawing  room ; after  which  Dr.  Lob- 
dell  was  as  much  disturbed  by  the  Sabbath-breaking  of 
his  English  friends  as  he  had  been  by  their  drinking  habits 
the  day  before. 

He  found  a friend  and  a brother  in  Mr.  Briihl,  a con- 
verted German  Jew,  who  was  laboring  for  the  benefit  of 
his  brethren  under  the  direction  of  the  London  Jews’ 
Society.  At  the  house  of  Mr.  Briihl,  he  formed  the 
acquaintance  of  Prof.  Petermann,  of  the  University  of 
Berlin,  and  an  intimate  friend  of  the  learned  and  excellent 
ISTeander,  of  whom,  while  applying  in  his  behalf  for  any 
historical,  Nestorian,  or  Armenian  MSS.,  which  could  be 
procured  at  Oroomiah,  and  especially  for  a Life  of  Alex- 
ander in  the  Syriac,  of  which  Dr.  Lobdell  had  told  him, 
the  Doctor  thus  writes  to  Dr.  Perkins:  “ Prof.  Peter- 
mann has  been  in  the  south  of  Persia  the  last  summer 
with  Mr.  Briihl,  going  from  Bushire  to  Shiraz,  Isfahan, 
Hamadan,  and  Yezd,  and  has  procured  some  scores  of 
MSS.,  a large  lot  of  Parthian  and  Sassanian  coins,  and 
some  two  hundred  cylinders  and  seals,  a part  of  them 
bearing  fine  Babylonian  inscriptions.  He  will  return  to 
Europe  via  Aleppo  in  the  spring.  I have  found  him  one 
of  nature’s  noblemen  — a gentleman  and  scholar.  He 
probably  knows  Armenian  as  well  as  any  man  living.  He 
reads  Syriac,  Arabic,  Persian,  Sanscrit,  and  several  other 
Oriental  languages,  and  speaks  French  and  English,  be- 
sides his  native  German. 

“ The  French  savant,  M.  Fresnel,  sent  out  here  by  the 
French  Government  to  excavate  at  Babylon,  is  still 
here  — a very  odd  Frenchman,  but  a very  learned  man. 
He  takes  a good  deal  of  opium,  and  has  made  himself,  of 
late,  a sort  of  hermit.  He  speaks  English  well,  and  his 
conversation,  though  somewhat  pedantic,  is  exceedingly 


TIIE  BELGIAN  COLONEL. 


375 


instructive.  lie  illustrates  the  beau  ideal  of  French 
politeness.  It  is  worth  half  a trip  to  Baghdad  to  get  a 
sight  of  the  human  lions  here,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
beastly  one  in  Col.  Rawlinson’s  outer  court.” 

Among  the  “ lions  ” thus  alluded  to  in  the  above  letter, 
was  a Belgian,  who  had  the  office  of  Colonel  in  the  Turk- 
ish army,  “He  has  been  in  New  York,  Mexico,  India, 
and  China.  He  is  now  suffering  from  the  sad  effects  of 
fumigation  by  calomel  — the  prescription  of  a quack 
for  an  ulcer  on  the  nose,  the  Aleppo  button  or  date-mark 
of  Baghdad.  Almost  every  one  has  this  ulcer  for  about  a 
year.  It  is  seen  at  Mosul  often.  Julius  has  one  on  his  left 
cheek  now.  Mary  has  thus  far  escaped.  Lucy  has  had  three 
on  her  wrists.  I have  had  none,  but  am  told  that  I shall 
have,  now  I have  come  to  Baghdad.  Its  cause  is  mys- 
terious, like  that  of  all  endemics.  It  is  generally  without 
pain.  The  Belgian  offered  Mr.  Briihl  and  myself  two  of 
his  horses  to  ride  to  Babylon,  and  informed  us  that  as 
soon  as  he  gets  the  rank  of  pasha  in  Turkey  he  will  return 
to  his  native  country  to  enjoy  his  honors.  Before  that 
time  I sincerely  hope  the  Turkish  government  will  be  num- 
bered among  the  things  that  are  not.  It  ought  to  go  down. 
It  is  a disgrace  to  the  age,  that  such  a fine  country  should 
be  ruled  by  barbarians.*  It  would  be  very  easy  for 
the  English  in  India  to  come  up  and  take  this  city,  and 
indeed  all  Mesopotamia.  There  are  20,000  English  sol- 
diers, and  400,000  native  troops,  officered  by  Englishmen, 
all  paid  by  the  East  India  Company.  The  pay  of  the 
officers  of  that  company  is  enormous.  The  Colonel,  with 
whom  I stop  here,  receives  five  thousand  pounds  a year 
for  his  establishment  — that  is,  as  much  as  our  President, 
— though  only  fifteen  thousand  dollars  of  this  sum  are  for 
his  personal  salary. 

“I  crossed  the  Tigris  this  afternoon  (January  16)  in  a 
circular  boat,  with  six  or  eight  other  persons.  These 
boats  are  a curiosity.  They  are  the  same  as  Herodotus 


376 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


describes,  and  the  same  as  are  portrayed  on  the  walls  of 
Koyunjik  — mere  tubs  of  twisted  reeds  and  palm  splints 
covered  with  bitumen.*  They  slide  across  the  river 
about  as  fast  as  the  Stamboul  caiques  move  on  the  Bos- 
phorus, paddled  by  men  erect,  holding  oars  loose  in  their 
hands. 

“ January  17th.  Having  got  a letter  from  Mohammed 
Reshid,  Pasha  of  Baghdad,  to  Abdallah,  Pasha  of  Hillah 
(the  town  on  the  Euphrates  marking  the  site  of  old  Baby- 
lon), and  a letter  from  Dr.  Hyslop  to  an  American  at 
Meshed  Ali,  some  ten  hours  beyond  — the  tomb  of  Ali  to 
which  the  Persians  go  on  pilgrimage  — Mr.  Briihl  and 
myself  bade  adieu  to  Messrs.  Seecroft  and  Oakley,  who 
start  to-day  on  camels  for  a ride  through  the  desert  to 
Damascus,  and  got  away  about  eight  A.  M.,  en  route  for 
a view  of  the  Birs  Nimroud  and  the  other  remains  of  the 
city  beautified  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  destroyed  by  the 
Persians,  and  now  the  home  of  the  jackal  and  the  vulture. 
The  country  between  the  Tigris  and  the  Euphrates,  below 
Tekrit,  is  almost  perfectly  level,  of  a clayey  consistency, 
and,  when  irrigated,  of  astonishing  fertility.  The  whole 
region  is  traversed  by  canals,  now  mostly  filled  up  with 
debris,  excepting  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  towns  along 
the  rivers,  and  of  the  khans  built  by  Persian  Shiites,  who 
have  been  on  pilgrimage  to  the  tombs  of  Ali  and  his 
celebrated  sons.  These  caravansaries  (palaces  of  caravans) 
are  located  on  the  main  roads,  about  two  hours  apart,  and 
the  lines  of  pilgrims  that  wind  over  the  desert  at  this 
season  render  coffee-selling  at  the  khans  quite  profitable.” 

Two  days,  or  sixteen  hours  at  a caravan  pace,  brought 
them,  about  three  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  to  Hillah, 
which  is  about  fifty  miles  from  Baghdad,  in  a direction 
nearly  south.  “We  found  it  the  most  wretched  place 
imaginable.  It  occupies  both  banks  of  the  Euphrates. 

* Compare  the  ark  of  bulrushes,  “ daubed  ” with  bitumen,  in  which  the 
infant  Moses  was  placed.  Ex.  ii.  3. 


BABYLON. 


377 


The  inhabitants  are  chiefly  Arabs.  Tall  palms  and  a few 
pomegranates  and  figs  alone  relieve  the  barren  aspect  of 
the  desert  around.  We  stopped  in  the  smoky  dirty  room 
of  Count  de  Clement,  a French  aristocrat,  who  fled  in  the 
revolution  of  1848,  and  who,  after  traversing  Egypt  and 
the  Holy  Land,  is  now  teaching  French  to  Abdallah  Pasha, 
a Koordish  chief,  who  is  in  honorable  exile  here  under  the 
title  of  governor.  The  Pasha’s  library  consisted  of  his- 
tories, mathematical  and  astronomical  treatises,  grammars, 
lexicons,  and  fables  in  French.  Think  of  a Koord  studying 
the  differential  calculus  and  the  analytical  theory  of  the 
system  of  the  world  ! 

“Was  it  not  strange  that  I should  have  seen  Babylon 
without  seeing  Niagara  Falls  ? I believe  I am  the  first 
Yankee  who  has  been  to  Babel.  This  name  is  still  given 
to  a large  mound  an  hour  northward  of  Hillah,  on  the 
east  bank  of  the  Euphrates. 

“ 20th.  The  Count  and  myself  rode  over  two  hours  in  a 
southerly  direction,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  to  the 
Birs  Nimroud,  which  is  a gigantic  mound,  representing  the 
ancient  city  of  Borsippa,  and,  as  I believe,  the  older  Tower 
of  Belus,  and  perhaps  the  very  Tower  of  Babel,  for  building 
which  the  post-diluvian s were  scattered  over  the  earth.* 

“ What  a magnificent  prospect  spreads  out  from  that 
high  ruin!  the  tomb  of  Ezekiel  — the  burial-place  of 
Hussein  and  his  half  brother,  Abbas  — the  sepulcher  of 
Ali  Mohammed’s  son-in-law  — the  lake  or  marsh  formed 
by  the  Euphrates  flooding  its  western  banks  f — tha 
ranges  of  palms  — the  old  canals  — wandering  flocks  — 
innumerable  signs  of  desolation  amid  vestiges  of  former 
cultivation,  wealth,  and  grandeur  — how  can  I in  a hasty 

* A very  interesting  account  of  this  tower  may  be  found  in  Loftus’s  Chaldzea 
and  Susiana,  chap.  ii. 

t Isa.  xiv.  23:  “I  will  make  it  . . . pools  of  water.”  “The  Euphrates  some 
distance  above  divides  into  two  large  streams,  owing  to  the  miserable  state  of 
the  embankments,  and  the  whole  region  is  more  or  less  flooded  every  spring.” 
— Dr.  Lobdelfs  letter  to  Mr.  Seelye. 

32* 


378 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


letter  describe  the  scene  ? What  an  idea  it  gave  me  of 
Babylon  fallen!  But  I must  reserve  the  description  till 
I return  to  Mosul,  and  perhaps  then  send  it  to  the  Biblio- 
theca Sacra. 

“ Picking  up  some  pieces  of  bricks  and  bitumen  — 
remains  of  the  Temple  of  Belus,  ornamented  by  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, before  his  fall  — I thought  of  great  Babylon  which 
( he  did  build  — of  the  turning  of  the  flood  by  Cyrus,  and 
the  entrance  of  his  troops  into  Belshazzar’s  halls  — of 
Alexander  the  Great  and  the  ten  thousand  men  employed 
by  him  in  removing  the  rubbish  — and  rode  slowly  back 
to  Hillah,  stammering  out  French  ejaculations  to  my 
compcignon  cle  voyage , and  thankful  to  God  for  letting  me 
look  upon  the  ruins  of  earth’s  most  ancient  kingdom.  I 
regret  that  I could  not  afford  to  purchase  a lot  of  antique 
seals,  and  Babylonian  cylinders,  and  terra-cotta  heads  and 
vases  brought  to  me  from  the  ruins.  But  I shall  hope  to 
obtain  some  hereafter,  and  I enclose  now  a small  Baby- 
lonian or  Graeco-Babylonian  head,  which  I wish  you  to 
preserve,  as  perhaps  the  only  relic  from  Babylon  that  has 
crossed  the  Atlantic.  I shall  endeavor  before  I leave 
Baghdad  to  obtain  some  bricks  with  cuneiform  inscriptions, 
and  send  them  via  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  England,  to 
Amherst. 

“ Sunday,  21st.  We  read  the  English  service  in  He- 
brew, French,  and  English.  Bishop  Gobat  of  Jerusalem 
sometimes  administers  the  communion  in  seven  lan- 
guages at  one  service. 

“ 22d.  The  Count  accompanied  us  to  the  ruins  east  of 
Hillah.  I cutoff  some  branches  of  the  only  mountain  tree 
standing  on  the  ruins,  said  to  be  the  child  of  one  of  the  trees 
that  Nebuchadnezzar  planted  to  please  his  Median  wife. 
And  having  taken  a last  look  of  the  Birs,  and  the  low 
plain  around  it,  from  the  Mujelibeh,*  Mr.  Briihl  and  my- 
self parted  company  with  our  French  friend  and  galloped 

* “So  called  by  Rich,  but  known  to  the  Arabs  as  Babel.”— Loftus. 


THEORY  OF  BABYLON. 


379 


northward  to  overtake  our  caravan.  The  canals  often 
stretching  across  our  path  impeded  our  progress,  but  we 
reached  a comfortable  khan  before  sunset,  and  the  next 
day  arrived  at  Baghdad.  I can  not  stop  now  to  tell  you 
of  the  scores  of  coffins  we  passed.  The  Persians  often 
carry  their  dead,  even  from  Central  and  Eastern  Persia  to 
Kerbelai  and  Meshed  Ali  for  their  final  burial,  and  for  the 
blessed  resurrection.  * Troops  of  pilgrims  of  every  color, 
and  of  every  sort  of  dress,  on  foot,  on  donkeys,  horses,  and 
mules,  and  their  wives  and  children  in  kajavcts , threaded 
their  way  by  us  over  the  plain  — a toilsome  road  indeed, 
but  still  allowing  more  liberties  than  the  narrow  way  of 
the  gospel.  We  came  within  sight  of  the  tomb  of 
Zobeide,  cousin  and  wife  of  the  celebrated  Haroun  el 
Raschid  ; the  tomb  of  Joshua,  the  Jewish  high  priest,  who 
went  up  with  the  returning  captives  to  J erusalem,  and  is 
said  to  have  come  back  and  died  at  Babylon ; and  the 
tomb  of  Sheikh  Shahab-ed-Din  ; and  soon  after  two  P.  M. 
we  were  quietly  resting  in  Mr.  Briihl’s  house,  at  Baghdad, 
and  enjoying  a good  dinner.” 

For  some  days  after  his  return  to  Baghdad,  Dr.  Lobdell 
was  chiefly  occupied  in  reading  old  books  on  Babylon,  and 
trying  to  frame  an  opinion  satisfactory  to  himself  of  the  re- 
mains of  the  great  city.  He  could  not  bring  himself  to  adopt 
the  opinion  of  Col.  Rawlinson,  that  the  Euphrates  has  en- 
tirely changed  its  channel  since  the  destruction  of  Baby- 
lon, but  agreed  with  M.  Fresnel  (and  Mr.  Loftus,  as  ho 
has  since  published  his  views)  that  the  river  still  flows 
very  nearly  in  its  ancient  bed  ; and  was  inclined  to  be- 
lieve that  the  Birs  Nimroud  marked  the  southern  corner 
of  the  great  square  of  Babylon,  as  Nimroud  on  the  Tigris 
does  the  southern  angle  of  Nineveh  in  its  palmy  days. 
So  interested  did  he  become  in  these  questions,  that  he 

* Of  the  “ Campo  Santo  ” at  Kerbella  (s«  Mr.  Loftus  writes  the  name),  see 
Chaldea  and  Susiana,  Chap.  vii. 


380 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


was  sometimes  tempted  to  wish,  for  the  moment,  that 
he  was  a savant , and  he  could  give  his  time  and  thoughts 
to  their  investigation.  But  it  was  only  for  the  moment. 
He  rejoiced  that  he  had  a higher  and  more  important 
work.  “ It  would  not  be  difficult  to  become  an  attache 
to  some  great  man  in  these  parts ; but  I choose  to  be  for- 
ever an  attache  of  Jesus  Christ.  I hope  I shall  never 
long  for  the  leeks,  cucumbers,  and  onions  of  Egypt,  so  as 
to  give  up,  as  some  have  done,  the  blessed  work  in  which 
God  has  allowed  me  to  engage.  Let  us  have  regard  to 
the  recompense  of  reward  in  heaven ; and  at  the  same 
time  let  us  labor  for  Christ,  because  this  will  please  him .” 

On  the  27th  we  find  him  poring  over  Buxtorf’s  Lexicon 
and  Bochart’s  works,  reading  extracts  from  the  Talmud, 
and  regretting  that  Hebrew  is  not  more  studied  in 
theological  seminaries,  and  that  the  Jewish  Commenta- 
ries are  so  little  known  by  ministers  and  missionaries. 
“]STo  Christian  can  do  much  with  a Jew,  till  he  has  shown 
him  that  the  Talmud  is  not  from  God  — a thing  not  diffi- 
cult, when  one  knows  what  the  Talmud  really  teaches.” 

On  the  29th,  Mr.  Briihl  and  Prof.  Petermann  accom- 
panied him  to  Kazmain  — the  shrine  of  two  Imams  held 
in  great  veneration  by  the  Shiites,  about  an  hour  north- 
west of  the  city.  Soon  after  emerging  from  the  city, 
they  found  themselves  marching  in  a caravan  of  pilgrims. 
Some  were  carrying  coffins  for  burial ; but  most  were 
going  to  offer  gifts  and  prayers.  The  Shiites,  being  con- 
sidered heretics,  are  not  allowed  to  pray  in  the  mosks 
of  the  town,  and  so  they  frequent  the  mosks  of  Kaz- 
main. Here  is  a mule  carrying  a man  and  his  wife,  a 
child  and  a kid,  besides  food  and  bedding.  There  is  a 
lady  of  rank  on  a white  donkey  — these  white  Baghdad 
donkeys  are  celebrated  for  their  beauty  and  power  of 
endurance  — she  is  robed  and  veiled  in  silks  of  divers 
colors,  with  a pair  of  yellow  boots  reaching  to  the  knees 


KAZMA1JX. 


381 


and  hanging  down  nearly  to  the  ground  on  either  side, 
and  her  infant  rides  upon  the  broad  saddle  before  her ; 
while  her  black  female  slave  trudges  along  behind  her,  in 
her  yellow  boots  and  blue  izar,  with  her  thick  lips  appear- 
ing through  the  folds  drawn  over  her  face.  There  again 
is  a company  of  dervishes,  who  inhabit  the  old  palace  by 
the  river-side  — and  what  antics  they  do  exhibit ! Again, 
see  that  long  train  of  way-worn  pilgrims  in  cages  — if  so 
the  frames  may  be  called  in  which  they  ride ; some  are 
asleep,  some  yawning,  some  gazing  on  the  orange-gardens 
and  palms  and  river  with  a vague,  dreamy  air,  some  cursing 
and  some  rejoicing. 

Having  arrived  at  the  mosk  — a gorgeous  specimen 
of  Oriental  architecture — they  are  not  permitted  to  enter; 
but  they  “ could  see  the  wide,  extended  court,  the  lofty 
walls  and  arches,  the  corpses  borne  in  and  out,  the  four 
great  minarets,  the  four  smaller  ones,  and  the  two  gilded 
domes.  The  bones  of  the  pilgrims  are  left  in  their  graves 
in  the  court  for  a few  months,  and  are  then  gathered  to- 
gether in  a great  pit ! The  nearer  they  are  placed  to  the 
great  mosk,  the  more  costly  is  the  burial.  Every  body 
is  taxed,  that  enters  the  enclosure.  Mr.  Briihl  tells  me, 
that  not  long  since,  to  avoid  the  duty,  a Persian  wrapped 
the  bones  of  a relative  in  a bundle,  and  tried  to  smuggle 
them  within  the  gate,  but  he  was  detected  and  imprisoned. 
The  Belgian  Colonel,  Mesaud  Bey,  on  whom  they  called 
on  their  return  to  the  city,  told  them  large  stories  of  the 
treasure  — the  cloth  of  gold  and  pearls  covering  the 
tombs  of  the  saints,  the  ornaments  of  gold  and  silver 
hanging  from  the  walls,  and  all  the  varied  and  accumu- 
lated gifts  of  Persians  and  Indians,  who  for  ages  have  made 
pilgrimages  to  Kazmain. 

On  the  30th  Dr.  Lobdell  visited  the  J ewish  Hospital  — 
a very  different  sort  of  refuge  from  those  of  Christian 
lands.  “We  found  a large  number  of  Jews  there,  all  in 
rags,  all  with  venerable  earlocks  and  beards,  and  all  either 


382 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


studying  the  Talmud,  or  listening  to  tales  from  the  Ash- 
kenaz, (German  and  Polish  Jews,)  who  have  wandered 
hither  to  escape  being  drafted  into  the  army.  A blind 
man  was  repeating  David’s  Psalms,  which  he  knew  by 
heart.  Mr.  Briihl  had  a long  discussion  in*  Hebrew  with 
some  old  gray-bearded  sons  of  Abraham  4 according  to  the 
flesh,’  and  their  bitter  hate  of  Christianity  exceeded  any 
thing  I have  yet  seen  of  bigotry.  Do  you  know  that,  in 
the  Talmud,  a Jew  is  forbidden  to  help  a Gentile  out  of 
danger  — to  save  his  life.  This  was  doubtless  a tradi- 
tionary doctrine  in  the  time  of  Christ,  and  hence  his 
parable  of  the  good  Samaritan  to  show,  who  is  the  Jew’s 
neighbor.” 

44 1 am  almost  afraid,  from  the  news  by  the  last  letters 
from  Tehran,  that  political  matters  may  require  Mr. 
Murray  to  go  up  from  Bushire  through  Shiraz.  But  I 
wait  patiently  for  his  appearance  here,  or,  at  least,  for  the 
appearance  of  Capt.  Jones’s  steamer.  I took  a walk  to- 
day through  the  vacant  north-east  part  of  the  town.  The 
eastern  gate  has  long  been  closed ; indeed,  no  one  has 
entered  it,  since  Murad,  the  Turkish  conqueror  of  Bagh- 
dad, entered  and  shut  it  some  hundred  and  fifty  years 
ago.  The  walls  are  very  slender ; the  bastions  show  a few 
cannon.  Holes  in  the  walls  allow  of  occasional  smug- 
gling. Every  thing  is  taxed  in  Turkey.  Direct  taxation, 
it  is  thought,  is  better  than  a protective  tariff.  It  is 
certain,  that  free  trade  in  Turkey  is  good  for  England ; 
but  it  has  almost  ruined  the  manufactures  of  the  land. 

44  The  mosks  continue  to  attract  my  admiration.  The 
blue,  white,  dark,  light  shadings  on  the  burnished  spires 
and  domes  are  indicative  of  a glory  that  has  passed  away. 
Foreigners  are  treated  well  here.  Beggars  abound.  In 
fact,  you  would  think,  at  first  sight,  all  the  people  were 
beggars.  Almost  the  whole  population  are  clothed  in 
very  cheap  and  generally  dirty  muslins,  brown,  red, 
yellow,  blue ; and  no  suit  is  changed,  till  it  is  worn  to 


VISIT  TO  TIIE  PASIIA. 


383 


rags.  Baths  abound  ; but  they  do  not  keep  the  people 
clean.  And  yet  Baghdad  is  one  of  the  first  cities  of  the 
Empire. 

“31st.  Prof.  Petermann  and  I have  just  returned  from  a 
visit  to  the  Pasha.  Last  night  it  rained  hard.  When  it 
does  rain  here  (which  is  very  seldom,  and  not  at  all  in 
midsummer),  it  rains  ; and  the  side-walks  were  very 
muddy.  But  having  reached  the  loosely  covered  bazaars, 
we  had  a comfortable  walk  through  their  long  avenues  to 
the  palace,  where  a brass  band  was  playing  very  decent 
music.  Mesaud  Bey  (the  Belgian),  who  was  a Christian 
once,  and  is  a Moslem  now,  but  tells  me  he  is  really  a 
believer  in  materialism,  and  has  no  doubt  that  the  soul 
dies  with  the  body,  and  so  is  ready  for  war,  vice,  virtue, 
death,  alike,  — this  new  friend  accompanied  us  from  the 
lithographic  press-room,  in  which  passports  only  are 
printed,  to  the  innermost  court  of  the  building,  where,  in 
a room  well  furnished,  with  painted  walls,  a wooden  ceil- 
ing, and  Persian  rugs,  we  found  a king.  What  else  shall 
I call  the  man  who  keeps  his  seat  whoever  enters ; who 
wears  a rich  fur  robe  and  an  emerald  ring,  and  fondles  a 
massive  gold  snuff-box ; who  rules  with  a rod  of  iron  the 
people  from  the  Persian  Gulf  to  Diarbekr ; who  prefers 
his  post  of  marshal  here  to  the  office  of  grand  vizier  at 
Constantinople ; who  studied  at  Metz,  became  a captain  in 
the  French  army,  was  pasha  at  Jerusalem,  captured  Beder 
Khan  Bey  at  Jezireh,  carried  a victorious  banner  from 
Erzeroom  into  northern  Koordistan,  is  surrounded  by  a 
crowd  of  obsequious  slaves,  and  was  once  a slave  boy  in 
the  wilds  of  Circassia?  The  Pasha  expatiated  in  French 
on  the  liberty  of  conscience  in  Turkey;  said  that  slavery 
here  is  a benefit,  and  not,  as  in  America,  a curse,  to  slaves, 
instancing  the  fact  that  those  who  brought  us  coffee  and 
pipes  were  already  rich,  and  assured  us  that  Koordistan, 
whither  he  has  just  sent  a large  body  of  troops  to  bring 
Yezdinshir  Bey  to  terms,  will  soon  ^ mn’pt. 


384 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


“To  Prof.  Petermann  he  gave  a ‘Life  of  Alexander5  in 
Turkish,  and  loaned  him  several  other  Turkish  books, 
among  which  is  a collection  of  the  Letters  of  the  Sultans 
from  the  time  of  Mohammed  to  Suleiman  the  Great,  six- 
teen of  the  letters  being  by  Mohammed  himself  Only 
forty  copies  of  this  interesting  work  were  printed,  and 
these  solely  for  the  marshals  of  the  realm ; quorum  pars 
fui.  The  Pasha’s  library  contained  such  books  as 
D’Herbelot’s  Bibliotheque  Orientate,  Boyle’s  works,  Na- 
poleon’s writings,  treatises  in  French  on  engineering, 
fortification,  the  art  of  war  and  chemistry,  and  manuscripts 
in  Persian,  Turkish,  and  Arabic. 

“ The  air  of  the  man  Avas  quite  regal.  He  bowed  us 
out  with  Turkish  reserve  and  French  politeness.  He  is 
called  by  the  people,  “ Guzhulc ,”  because  he  wears  spec- 
tacles. He  is  evidently  the  most  learned  man  I have  yet 
seen  belonging  to  Turkey.  He  has  a fine  head,  dark 
skin,  a black  beard,  full  face,  and  large  abdomen,  — a 
genus  of  which  there  are  many  species  in  the  East. 
Were  he  not  so  rapacious,  so  self-conceited,  so  distant,  he 
would  be  a respectable  man  in  almost  any  circle.  His 
morals,  of  course,  I can  not  speak  of,  except  to  say  that  he 
has  an  extensive  harem,  and  was,  I learn,  caught  yester- 
day reading  Luke’s  gospel. 

“ Feb.  8th.  I was  just  on  the  eve  of  starting  for  home 
yesterday,  having  engaged  a muleteer  to  take  my  cook 
and  baggage,  and  two  horses  for  myself  and  Jeremiah  to 
go  with  the  post \ when  lo ! the  English  vice-consul  called 
to  tell  me  that  the  ambassador  was  expected  in  a few 
hours,  a note  having  been  received  from  him,  stating  that 
he  was,  at  the  time  of  writing,  near  Ctesiphon,  only  a few 
miles  below  Baghdad.  He  will  remain  there,  looking  at 
the  famous  Parthian  Arch,  and  the  other  vestiges  of  Ctes- 
iphon that  are  still  found,  and,  perhaps,  take  a view  of 
Seleucia,  on  the  other  bank  of  the  Tigris,  and  thus  give 
the  officials  here  time  to  prepare  their  music  and  cannon 


CALL  ON  MR.  MURRAY. 


385 


for  his  reception.  Of  course  I concluded  to  delay  my 
departure.  I had  prepared,  the  day  previous,  a letter  for 
His  Excellency,  and  also  received  the  promise  of  Col.  Raw- 
linson  that  he  would  present  my  business  favorably  to  the 
envoy,  so  that  I considered  I had  by  no  means  failed  of 
my  great  purpose,  even  though  I did  not  see  the  man  I 
came  to  see. 

“ P.M.  Thirteen  guns  have  just  been  fired  by  the  Turks, 
and  as  many  by  the  English  on  board  the  steamer,  in 
honor  of  the  envoy’s  arrival. 

“ I have  been  very  busy  to-day  making  a translation  of 
the  preface  to  a work  written  at  St.  Petersburg!),  on  the 
vulgar  Arabic.  I think  I shall  add  to  the  article  some 
remarks  on  the  peculiarities  of  the  Arabic  of  Assyria  and 
Mesopotamia,  and  send  it  to  the  Oriental  Society. 

ct  9th,  I have,  this  morning,  called,  with  Mr.  Briihl  and 
Prof.  Petermann,  on  Mr.  Murray.  He  is  about  forty-five 
years  of  age.  I judge  from  his  remark  that  a man  of 
forty-five  feels  very  differently  about  traveling,  from  what 
he  did  at  twenty-five.  It  is  about  twenty  years  since  he 
was  roving  among  the  Indians  of  our  north-west  territo- 
ries, and  now  he  is  to  cross  the  cold  Zagros  mountains  in 
rain  and  snow.  He  will  remain  here  some  time,  however, 
’ I understand,  to  visit  Babylon. 

“ I was  much  pleased  with  the  man.  He  spoke  German 
and  French  as  freely  as  English,  and  I presume  he  knows 
some  Arabic  and  Turkish  as  well  as  several  other  Euro- 
pean languages,  and,  perhaps,  has  studied  the  Persian. 
He  is  my  beau-ideal  of  a first-rate  Englishman,  though 
I believe  he  is  half  French  and  half  Scotch.  He  has 
none  of  the  grumble  of  Mr.  Bull.  To-morrow  he  is  to 
receive  calls  from  native  dignatiries,  and  the  next  day 
(Sunday ! ) he  will  return  them ; and  so  I shall  have  to 
wait  till  Monday  for  a private  interview. 

“ He  showed  us  an  earthen  bowl  (obtained  at  Busrah, 
I believe,  by  Capt.  Jones),  on  the  inside  of  which  was 
38 


386 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


written  in  Syrian  characters  an  inscription  of  the  Sabeans 
of  St.  John.  It  much  resembled  the  bowls  described  by 
Layard  near  the  end  of  his  “ Nineveh  and  Babylon,”  which 
were  internally  covered  with  rough  Hebrew  characters, 
and  so  were  evidently  Jewish.  They  were  probably 
charms , though  why  the  inscription  should  be  inside  of 
the  bowl,  I do  not  quite  understand.  Perhaps  it  is  a pre- 
scription to  be  dissolved  and  swallowed ! This  bowl  had 
certainly  lost  some  of  its  letters,  as  if  by  the  action  of 
some  liquid.  Prof.  Petermann,  who  has  studied  the  reli- 
gion and  language  of  the  Sabeans  perhaps  more  thor- 
oughly than  any  other  man,  took  the  bowl  home  to  ex- 
amine it.  He  expects  to  publish  an  account  of  this 
curious  sect  on  his  return  to  Berlin. 

“ Having  taken  our  leave  of  the  ambassador  we  called 
on  Mr.  Holland,  an  officer  of  the  steamer,  who  showed  us 
his  daughters  and  wife  (a  native  woman),  and  a beautiful 
roe  deer,  and  then  went  with  us  on  board  the  steamer, 
which  is  armed  with  several  cannon,  and  a lot  of  guns, 
pikes,  and  cutlasses,  and  is  manned  by  English,  Hindos- 
tanees,  and  Fellahs  from  the  region  of  Mosul.” 

On  Sunday,  Dr.  Lobdell  attended  in  the  morning  Mr. 
Bruhl’s  service  in  Hebrew ; at  ten  o’clock,  English  ser- 
vice at  the  residency;  at  noon,  an  Arabic  and  Hebrew 
service  again.  Mr.  Murray  held  his  levee  in  full  court 
dress;  and  in  the  evening  Col.  Rawlinson  gave  the 
ambassador  a magnificent  dinner,  — Sunday,  among  too 
many  of  the  English  in  the  East,  as  well  as  among  the 
Oriental  Christians,  being  a day  for  visiting  and  dining. 
“How  little  thought  is  given  to  the  eternal  world  by 
these  devotees  of  pleasure?” 

On  Monday  the  doctor  breakfasted  with  his  Mosul  ac- 
quaintance and  friend,  Capt.  Jones, — Capt.  Selby,  of  the 
steamer,  also  being  present,  — and  was  shown  the  beauti- 
ful maps  of  Nineveh  and  Babylon  from  trigonometrical 
surveys,  made  by  the  former.  “ They  are  most  carefully 


RETURN  BY  TOST. 


387 


and  richly  drawn ; and  the  map  of  Nineveh  is  to  be  pub- 
lished in  the  journal  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society,  as  soon 
as  the  engravers  can  finish  it.  I trust  the  map  of  Babylon 
will  also  be  issued  in  a few  months  by  the  same  Society; 
though  it  is  possible,  as  the  captain  is  an  officer  of  the 
East  India  Company,  he  may  be  required  to  submit  it  to 
them.  It  has  on  it  a restoration  of  the  Birs  Nimroud, 
with  a flaming  altar  at  the  summit  of  its  seven  lofty 
terraces. 

“I  have  just  had  a very  pleasant  interview  with  the 
ambassador,  who  promised  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  aid 
my  Oroomiah  friends,  and  will  give  me  a letter  to  that 
effect.  He  said  that  owing  to  some  late  mismanagement 
of  affairs  at  Tehran,  the  English  were  not  on  good  terms 
with  the  government.  But  he  hoped  by  coaxing,  instead 
of  threatening,  to  get  into  the  Shah’s  good  graces,  and  if 
he  succeeded,  he  would  be  able  to  show  him  the  absurdity 
of  retrenching  our  operations,  and  that  he  ought  either  to 
stop  them  entirely  as  injurious,  or  leave  them  alone  as 
beneficial.  If  the  Americans  could  benefit  a hundred  and 
fifty,  why  not  a thousand  and  fifty  as  well  ?” 

The  object  of  his  journey  having  been  accomplished, 
Dr.  Lobdell  set  out  on  Tuesday  morning,  Feb.  13th,  by 
post,  on  his  return  to  Mosul.  A strong  bouyouroulder 
from  the  pasha  secured  him  a ready  change  of  horses,  and 
generally  all  proper  attention  and  obedience.  “ The  men- 
zils , or  post-stations,  are  from  four  to  nine  hours  apart  by 
caravan.  The  post  generally  goes  in  about  half  the  time, 
on  a very  fast  walk,  with  an  occasional  gallop.  A sernjjee 
accompanies  the  post  from  one  station  to  another,  attends 
to  the  saddles  and  extra  clothing  or  baggage ; and  the 
next  day  takes  the  animals  back  to  their  station.  Our 
serujjee  carried  behind  his  saddle  two  thick  quilts,  a cloak, 
and  a woolen  blanket  — my  bedding  — and  over  his  sad- 
dle he  laid  two  pieces  of  carpet,  that  I carried,  to  be 
spread,  as  mattresses,  upon  the  ground  floors  where  I slept. 


388 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


Jeremiah  carried  in  his  saddle-bags  a small  coffee-pot, 
knife  and  fork,  spoons,  salt,  pepper,  boiled  eggs,  cooked 
chicken,  bread,  and  dates.  I tied  two  over-coats  behind 
me,  having  brought  my  bridle  and  saddle  from  Mosul  for 
this  journey.  My  pillow  at  night  was  my  cushion  by  day ; 
and  I came  to  Southgate’s  conclusion,  that  a single  trav- 
eler can  move  from  place  to  place  more  conveniently  by 
post  than  by  caravan.” 

The  route  was  on  the  east  side  of  the  Tigris,  for  a time 
near  the  river’s  bank,  because  of  the  flood  at  this  season, 
but  afterwards  midway  between  the  Tigris  and  the  Dialah, 
often  crossing  or  riding  alongside  of  the  beds  of  canals, 
which  once  watered  the  intervening  country.  The  first 
night,  having  lost  their  way  in  the  dark,  and  wandered 
sometime  among  the  marshes,  they  were  glad  to  draw  up 
their  horses  and  spread  their  blankets  on  the  ground,  near 
some  Arab  tents,  not  knowing  whether  the  occupants 
were  friends  or  foes.  The  second  night  they  passed  at 
Kifri,  “ a respectable  town  lying  under  the  range  of  moun- 
tains, which  runs  eastward  to  Suleimaniyeh,  and  sur- 
rounded by  a turreted  mud  wall,  built  by  Hakky  Bey, 
late  defbardar  of  Mosul,  to  enable  the  people  to  protect 
themselves  from  the  Koords  and  Arabs  — old  Kifri  lay 
around  a fine  large  mound  some  miles  westward.”  The 
third  night  brought  them  to  Kerkhuk,  a large  place  built 
at  the  base  of  a high  mound,  whose  Pasha  is  superior  even 
to  the  Pasha  of  Arbeel.  An  hour  and  half  from  Kerkhuk, 
the  next  morning,  they  came  to  “ the  famous  bitumen 
springs  which  are  always  boiling,  the  liquid  naphtha  ris- 
ing to  the  surface,  and  offering  itself  gratis  to  persons 
who  put  it  into  skins  and  convey  it  on  the  backs  of  don- 
keys, even  to  Baghdad.  I suppose  this  is  the  place  where 
Alexander  the  Great  was  surprised  to  see  the  streets  of  a 
town  flashing  with  bituminous  lights  the  evening  of  the 
day  after  the  battle  at  Arbela,  though  there  are  no  traces 
of  the  town  remaining.”  The  fourth  night  the  Doctor 


HOME. 


389 


came  upon  the  track  of  his  tour  to  Oroomiah  at  Arbeel. 
“ The  road  from  Baghdad  to  Mosul  makes  a long  curve 
to  the  east,  to  avoid  the  Arabs  of  the  desert.  The  near- 
est route  would  be  on  the  west  side  of  the  Tigris.”  On 
Saturday,  Feb.  17th,  he  rode  through  familiar  scenes, 
crossed  the  Zab  and  the  Khazir  (both  now  on  a raft — on 
his  way  to  Oroomiah  he  had  forded  the  latter,)  passed 
through  Bartulli,  leaving  Karamles  an  hour  on  the  left, 
and  Sheikh  Mattai  an  hour  on  the  right,  found  the  plain 
of  Nineveh  more  generally  cultivated  than  any  of  equal 
extent  he  had  seen  on  his  journey,  hurried  past  the  walls 
and  trenches  of  the  ancient  city,  was  ferried  across  the 
Tigris,  and  entered  his  court  before  his  arrival  was  an- 
nounced “ for  a wonder,  as  a boy  will  almost  always  run 
before  to  carry  such  glad  tidings  and  get  his  buckshish.  All 
were  well.  My  ride  of  fifty-eight  hours  by  post-horses  — 
a hundred  by  caravan  — or  some  three  hundred  miles, 
circuitous,  dangerous,  dull,  was  ended ; no  rain  had  fallen 
upon  me  by  the  way ; no  robber  had  attacked  me ; my 
mission  was  fulfilled,  and  I was  again  at  home,  ‘sweet, 
sweet  home.’  Why  should  I not  thank  God  and  rejoice  ?” 
33* 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


Occupations  after  his  return  from  Baghdad  — Chills  and  Fever  — Last  Letter  — 
Last  Entry  in  private  Journal  — Mrs.  Lobdell's  Journal  of  his  Sickness  — 
Death  — Burial  by  the  side  of  Dr.  Grant  — Communion  of  Choice  Spirits  in 
Heaven  — Wife  and  Children  — Age  — Brainerd  — Martyn  — Fruits  of  his 
Labors— Character— Recollections  and  Impressions  of  his  Friends  — Mr. 
Lothrop  — Mr.  Seelye  — Dr.  Perkins  — Mr.  Marsh. 


For  nearly  a fortnight  after  his  return  from  Baghdad, 
Dr.  Lobdell  enjoyed  apparently  his  usual  health,  and  was 
very  busy  in  writing  up  his  journals,  in  correspondence 
with  the  Nestorian  mission,  in  revising  and  correcting  his 
notes  on  the  Anabasis,  in  repacking  in  a safer  and  more 
portable  form  the  slabs,  bricks  and  other  antiquities  for 
the  colleges ; in  examining  the  recent  discoveries  of  Mr. 
Loftus,  particularly  a collection  of  very  beautiful  ivories, 
or  as  the  Doctor  thought  them,  clays,  exquisitely  wrought 
into  idols,  small  bulls,  lions,  and  other  religious  emblems  ; 
and  in  preaching,  talking  to  great  numbers  in  his  study, 
and  administerring  to  the  bodily  and  spiritual  maladies  of 
still  greater  crowds  at  the  dispensary.  Having  heard  that 
friends  in  Amherst  had  made  up  a box  of  books,  clothing, 
and  to  her  comforts  for  him,  he  writes  on  the  22d  of 
February,  (1855):  “The  arrival  of  that  box  will  cause 
me  many  a tear  of  joy,  I am  sure;  for  the  stock  of  cloth- 
ing I brought  with  me  is  quite  threadbare,  and  with  all 
my  attempts  at  economy  this  year,  I find  my  expenses 
exceed  my  salary.  I would  present  my  thanks  to  Mrs.  T. 
and  Mrs.  M.  in  advance  of  its  reception.  May  the  Lord 
reward  all  who  have  contributed  thus  to  the  comfort  of 


LAST  LETTER. 


391 


an  unworthy  missionary.  I trust  I shall  be  able  to 
acknowledge  the  arrival  of  the  box  in  a few  months.” 
Mrs.  Lobdell  had  the  melancholy  satisfaction  of  looking 
over  these  tokens  of  friendship  and  Christian  affection 
sent  to  her  husband  by  those  who  had  known  and  loved 
him  in  the  place  of  his  education  — alone,  some  weeks 
after  he  was  laid  in  liis  grave. 

On  Tuesday,  Feb.  27th,  Mr.  Marsh  and  Mr.  Williams 
left  to  attend  the  annual  meeting  of  the  mission  at  Diar- 
bekr.  Wednesday,  the  28th,  he  was  feverish  all  day,  but 
prepared  a sermon,  talked  with  a crowd  of  papists  till  he 
was  tired,  prescribed  and  preached  to  eighty-five  patients, 
delivered  his  sermon  to  the  church  in  the  evening,  and 
went  to  bed  with  a chill  and  fever.  On  Thursday,  March 
1st,  he  wrote  his  last  letter  — to  Dr.  Wright  — and  made 
his  last  entry  in  his  journal.  In  the  letter  he  says : “ Mr. 
Williams  and  Mr.  Marsh  left  for  Diarbekr  by  post  on 
Tuesday  evening,  going  through  the  desert  to  Nisibin,  the 
same  route  taken  by  our  party  last  year.  A battle  I hear 
has  been  fought  near  Chulagha,  a village  on  their  road 
about  a day  west  of  Jezireh,  between  the  Koords  and  the 
Turks,  the  latter  being  victorious.  It  is  said  that  a thou- 
sand Koords  were  killed,  and  about  half  that  number 
were  made  prisoners.  Yezdinshir  Bey  and  his  brother 
fled  under  cover  of  the  fog.  The  Turks  marched  on  and 
entered  Jezireh. 

“ Last  evening  I had  one  of  my  old-fashioned  chills, 
with  fever;  but  this  morning  I feel  tolerably  comfortable. 

I attribute  it  to  my  daily  service  at  the  dispensary ; the 
room  occupied  being  somewhat  damp,  and  the  sick  crowd- 
ing it  so  that  the  air  became  impure.  I have  had  over 
eighty  patients  there  every  day  of  late  ; and  my  attempt  * 
to  prepare  a sermon  for  the  ckurcli  in  the  evening,  in 
addition  to  talking  half  an  hour  to  the  sick,  was  a little 
too  much  for  me.  I rather  hope  the  fever  will  not  return. 

“To-day  I am  ‘loafing5  about  the  court,  superintending 


% 

392  MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 

the  re-sawing  and  re-packing  of  some  of  your  sculptures. 
Quite  a number  of  the  boxes  were  so  heavy,  that  Antone, 
my  wakeel , was  obliged  to  have  them  brought  up  (from 
Nimroud)  on  mules  singly,  instead  of  putting  them  upon 
a camel,  two  for  a load.  One  of  the  slabs,  being  very 
brittle,  was  badly  broken  in  the  transit,  but  as  it  is  a unique 
figure,  I thought  it  best  to  send  it.  In  order  to  get  a va- 
riety— no  two  being  alike  — I was  obliged,  in  one  or  two 
cases,  to  send  figures  a little  less  valuable  in  themselves. 
The  whole  six  form  a fine  set,  and  would  do  well  in  a 
single  gallery.  I shall  send  several  large  bricks,  and  were 
it  in  my  power,  I would  obtain  some  small  relies.  Perhaps 
I will  put  a number  of  seals  from  my  own  collection  into 
a little  box  as  private  gifts.  Some  of  your  friends  may 
like  a few  little  stones  for  rings  or  breast-pins. 

“ Do  you  know  that  each  large  slab  was  sawn  into  five  or 
six  pieces  ? Console  your  Dartmouth  friends  with  this  con- 
solation, that  they  can  have  the  sculptures  cemented 
together,  if  broken  into  a hundred  pieces,  so  that  the  frac- 
tures will  scarcely  be  noticeable. 

“ In  addition  to  a covering  of  wool  and  ketcheh  within 
each  box,  I fasten  a rope  outside  to  hold  the  box  together, 
and  over  this  sew  a thick  felt.  I ought  to  feel  obliged  to 
you  for  the  privilege  of  packing  these  slabs,  for  it  is  a 
diversion  to  me  such  a day  as  this,  when  I am  a little 
feverish.” 

The  last  entry  in  his  private  journal,  together  with  refer- 
ences to  the  above  letter  and  some  of  the  facts  in  it,  is  as 
follows : “ Court  a scene  of  labor.  The  sick  press  on  me. 

Head  aches.  Fear  sickness.  Happy  in  leaving  myself 
with  God.”  Thus  Dr.  Lobdell  came  near  to  the  end  of 
life,  as  he  had  lived,  working  for  mankind  and  trusting  in 
God.  During  the  whole  period  of  his  sickness,  those 
boxes,  containing  slabs  and  collections  for  Dartmouth, 
Amherst,  and  the  Missionary  Rooms  at  Boston,  remained 
in  his  court,  fit  emblems  and  touching  memorials  of  his 
busy  and  self-sacrificing  life. 


SICKNESS. 


393 


Mrs.  Lobdell  takes  up  tlic  journal  of  her  husband’s  sick- 
ness where  lie  leaves  it,  and  carries  it  on  for  twenty-five 
days,  during  most  of  which  she  was  with  him  day  and 
night,  without  undressing.  The  burden  of  anxiety  and 
responsibility  which  pressed  upon  her  and  Mrs.  Marsh, 
was  greatly  increased  by  the  absence  of  Mr.  Marsh  and 
Mr.  Williams.  For  several  days  he  was  able  to  be 
dressed,  and  come  out  into  the  parlor,  or  lounge  on  the 
mokaab  in  the  study,  and  even  to  receive  an  occasional 
call.  But  he  grew  continually  worse,  till  his  wife  had 
many  fears  that  his  sickness  would  be  unto  death.  He 
did  not  as  yet  apprehend  a fatal  termination,  but  he 
remarked  that  he  never  before  felt  so  willing  to  die.  On 
the  7th,  at  the  advice  of  Mr.  Loftus,  he  was  bled  by  a 
Moslem  barber,  without,  however,  reducing  his  pulse, 
which  was  very  high ; and  through  the  night  he  talked 
more  or  less  incoherently  till  the  morning. 

The  next  day  he  was  very  sick  — pulse  120  — talked 
about  dying  — said,  “ I do  not  fear  death ; no,  I know  in 
whom  I have  believed ; it  is  a great  comfort  to  have  had 
an  object  in  life,  an  object  worth  living  for,  however  poorly 
one  may  have  accomplished  it.  I have  been  a great  sin- 
ner, but  I have  great  confidence  in  the  mercy  of  God. 
Christ  does  not  look  at  the  stains.”  When  asked  if  it  was 
not  a great  comfort  that  he  had  not  his  preparation  to 
make  now,  he  replied,  “ Oh ! yes  — oh  ! yes  / I could  do 
nothing  now ; I have  tried  to  do  too  much  all  the  time  I 
have  been  in  Mosul.”  When  Mrs.  L.  spoke  of  being  left 
alone,  he  said,  “ Trust  in  the  Lord ; don’t  be  afraid.”  When 
she  prayed  with  him,  he  said,  “ You  ask  that  I may  get 
well ; you  do  n’t  ask  that  I may  have  a glorious  seat  in  the 
kingdom  of  God  — that  is  what  I want.” 

The  next  day,  (March  9th,)  he  inquired  if  the  ladies 
prayed  for  him,  and  added,  “You  must  continue  to  pray.” 
When  asked  by  Mrs.  L.  how  he  felt  about  leaving  her  in 


394 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


this  cold  world,  he  replied,  “ Very  much  as  Abraham  felt 
when  he  was  called  to  offer  up  Isaac.” 

On  the  12th,  a line  was  received  from  Mr.  Marsh  and 
Mr.  Williams.  They  had  been  stripped  by  the  Arabs, 
and  were  at  Mardin  when  they  wrote.  “ Oh,”  said  the 
Doctor,  “ how  I do  want  to  see  them  both ! I love  them 
very  much.”  A messenger  had  been  sent  for  them  on  the 
ninth  day  of  his  sickness,  but  owing  to  the  disturbed  state 
of  the  country,  it  did  not  reach  them  till  eight  days  later ; 
and  it  was  five  days  more  — the  twentieth  day  of  his  sick- 
ness — before  Mr.  Marsh  reached  Mosul.  Meanwhile  the 
Doctor’s  symptoms  were  sometimes  more  favorable,  so  as 
to  encourage  strong  hopes  of  his  recovery,  and  he  even 
enjoyed  a call  from  Mr.  Loftus;  but  as  his  fever  abated, 
his  strength  failed,  and  he  was  frequently  delirious. 

On  Sunday,  March  18th,  after  an  almost  sleepless  night, 
he  thought  he  could  not  remain  long,  and  wished  to  sit 
up  in  the  bed  and  address  some  last  words  of  counsel  to 
those  around  him.  To  his  wife,  he  repeated  the  charge 
to  trust  in  God  and  fear  nothing;  and  after  some  advice 
in  reference  to  the  children,  at  the  same  time  clasping  his 
little  Mary  to  his  bosom  and  kissing  her,  he  said,  “ Bless 
the  Lord  for  giving  us  these  children.”  To  the  English 
consul’s  wife,  who  was  present,  he  said,  “ Do  be  a good 
woman,  Mrs.  R. ; be  good  to  the  poor.  I have  thought 
much  about  your  dear  husband.  I hope  you  will  both  be 
heirs  of  eternal  life.”  To  one  of  the  native  brethren, 
who  stood  by,  he  said,  “ I am  afraid  you  do  not  pray  enough 
in  your  family ; be  more  faithful  to  your  children.”  To 
the  cook,  who  had  just  been  rubbing  his  hands  to  get  them 
warm,  he  said,  “Believe  in  Jesus,  and  train  your  children 
in  the  way  they  should  go.”  Another  native  woman,  he 
warned  to  care  for  her  soul,  saying,  “You  have  a good 
husband,  Sarah,  and  it  is  the  grace  of  God  that  has  made 
him  what  he  is.”  Thus  did  he  continue  to  preach,  even 
on  his  dying  bed. 


SYMPATHY  OF  NATIVE  CHRISTIANS. 


395 


The  native  Christians,  on  their  part,  prayed  earnestly 
for  his  recovery,  and  were  eager  to  render  every  possible 
service.  There  was  no  want  of  watchers  — sometimes 
three  or  four  at  night  taking  turns,  and  ready  to  be  called 
upon.  Jeremiah  was  at  the  house  every  night  for  a fort- 
night. “We  do  not  want  the  doctor  to  die,”  said  he, 
“ if  the  Lord  can  spare  him,  we  need  him.”  Micha  said, 
“ The  sin  of  Mosul  is  very  great,  that  the  Lord  afflicts  us 
by  taking  away  our  teachers.” 

But  prayers  and  tears,  watching  and  nursing,  were 
without  avail.  He  grew  continually  worse.  The  nights 
of  the  19th  and  20th  were  sad  nights  to  the  poor  mission- 
ary’s wife,  who  had  no  medical  adviser  in  whom  she  could 
repose  confidence,  and  no  skillful  hand  or  strong  arm  on 
which  she  could  lean.  It  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty 
she  could  control  him  in  his  hours  of  delirium  — again 
and  again  did  he  leave  the  bed  and  wander  into  the 
room  which  had  been  the  scene  of  his  chosen  labors.  On 
the  21st  Mr.  Marsh  arrived.  As  he  entered  the  sick 
room,  the  doctor  raised  his  thin  arms,  saying,  “ Praise  to 
God,”  “ praise  to  God,”  and  threw  them  about  his  neck, 
and  wept.  It  was  a great  relief  to  the  ladies.  Yet  Mrs. 
Lobdeil  felt  that  it  was  too  late  to  save  him  — too  late  to 
take  such  sweet  couusel  with  him  as  they  might  have 
taken,  early  in  his  sickness.  “Many  precious  things”  — 
such  is  the  record  of  her  feelings  made  at  the  time  — 
“ many  precious  things  has  he  said  to  Julia  (Mrs.  Marsh) 
and  myself.  Oh  for  such  an  unwavering  trust  in  the 
Saviour  as  he  has!  Again  and  again  has  he  said,  “Lucy, 
trust  in  the  Lord,  and  do  not  fear.”  His  precious,  blessed 
Mary,*  as  he  often  calls  her,  and  his  darling  Julius,  he 


* The  doctor’s  tender  affection  for  this  child  illustrates  that  “ cross  play  In 
nature”  by  which  the  father  often  has  a peculiar  love  for  a daughter,  and  the 
mother  for  a son.  She  could  steal  into  his  arms  in  his  busiest  hours,  and  when 
she  was  sick,  he  would  lay  aside  everything  and  attend  to  her. 


396 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


cheerfully  resigns  to  the  Lord,  saying,  “ He  is  a father  to 
the  fatherless,  and  the  widow’s  God.” 

On  the  22d  the  friends  gave  up  all  hope  of  his  recovery, 
and  began  to  make  arrangements  for  the  sad  event.  On 
the  23d,  after  a more  comfortable  night,  the  Italian  doctor 
assured  them  that  he  was  better.  He  had  not  the  full 
command  of  his  mind,  but,  almost  without  exception,  he 
was  rational  on  religious  subjects.  “I  am  weak,”  he  said 
to  Mr.  Marsh,  “but  I rejoice  in  the  Almighty.” 

“ Saturday,  24th.  This  morning  I thought  Henry  could 
not  live  till  sunset,  his  face  looked  so  death-like,  but  he 
still  lives. 

“Sunday,  25th.  Watched  H.  all  night,  expecting  to 
see  him  breathe  his  last,  but  he  still  lingers,  almost  un- 
conscious. As  I was  passing  his  bed  he  tried  to  beckon 
me  to  him.  I went  to  him,  but  he  could  not  speak  to 
me.  His  lamp  is  nearly  gone  out.” 

He  continued  to  breathe  softly,  sweetly,  feebly,  till,  just 
as  the  Sabbath  was  closing  on  earth,  he  passed  to  the 
eternal  rest  of  heaven. 

Through  all  the  hours  of  that  Sabbath  day  the  door 
and  windows  of  the  room  where  the  good  man  w^as  dying 
were  kept  open,  and  the  native  brethren  came  in  and 
looked  at  him  as  often  as  they  pleased.  They  w^ould 
stand  a few  minutes,  and  then  go  out  into  the  court  and 
sit  in  silence,  and  often  the  big  tears  would  roll  down  their 
cheeks.  Thus  did  he  preach  to  the  last  moment  of  his 
life.  His  death  was  a sermon,  which  was  heard  and 
understood  and  felt  by  Mohammedans,  as  well  as  Chris- 
tians, of  all  ranks  throughout  Mosul.  Every  body  knew 
him;  every  body  honored  and  loved  him  and  said,  “ There 
lived  and  died  a Christian.”  The  sympathy  and  regret 
were  the  more  lively  because  he  died  so  young ; and  tins 
may  be  one  reason  why  Providence  permits  so  many  of 
his  devoted  servants  to  be  cut  down  in  the  very  beginning 
of  their  usefulness.  Brainerd  and  Martyn  would  not  have 


BURIED. 


397 


excited  such  universal  and  peculiar  interest,  had  they  lived 
to  a good  old  age,  and  their  memoirs  have  moved  more 
hearts  to  a holy  and  heroic  life,  than  they  could  have 
reached  by  their  direct  efforts  in  thrice  threescore  years 
and  ten. 

The  next  day,  Monday  the  26tli,  a service  in  English  was 
held  at  the  house,  Mr.  Marsh  officiating.  A part  of  the 
fifteenth  chapter  of  the  First  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians, 
was  read,  and  they  sung  the  hymn : 

“ Asleep  in  Jesus  3 blessed  sleep  ! ” 

The  English  Consul  was  at  the  service,  and  went  with 
them  to  the  grave.  At  the  request  of  Messrs.  Loftus  and 
Boutcher,  the  French  Consul  applied  to  the  pasha,  and 
permission  was  given  to  bury  in  the  new  cemetery,  with- 
out the  walls.  Dr.  Lobdell’s  body  lies  by  the  side  of  Dr. 
Grant’s ; their  dust  will  mingle  till  the  resurrection  ; and 
who  can  tell  how  sweet  is  the  communion  which  their 
spirits  hold,  as  they  recount  their  kindred  labors,  trials 
and  experiences,  in  the  paradise  of  God,  where  “ the  sun 
shall  not  light  on  them,  nor  any  heat,  for  the  Lamb  which 
is  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  shall  feed  them,  and  shall  lead 
them  unto  living  fountains  of  waters;  and  God  shall 
wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes.” 

How  many  such  choice  spirits  have  already  been  gath- 
ered out  of  the  earth ! How  rich  and  bright  is  heaven 
already  with  such  jewels  ! With  what  holy  interest  do 
they  look  back  upon  the  field  of  their  earthly  labors  and  con- 
flicts to  see  how  the  work  is  going  on,  and  who  have  risen 
up  to  fill  their  places ! And  when  all  the  Christian  heroes 
who  have  led  the  van  in  the  conquest  of  the  world  and 
fallen  in  the  very  midst  of  the  enemy’s  country  — when  the 
whole  sacramental  host  that  have  fought  the  battles  of  the 
Lord  are  assembled  around  the  throne,  how  delightful 
will  be  their  fellowship  with  each  other ; what  a spectacle 
will  they  be  to  principalities  and  powers  in  heavenly  places, 
34 


398 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


and  with  what  infinite  complacency  will  their  great  King 
and  Captain  look  upon  them ; with  what  ineffable  glory 
will  he  shine  upon  them  forever ! Will  then  the  ardent 
and  aspiring  youth  — the  Christian  youth  of  our  country 
— be  reluctant  to  fill  their  places  as  fast  as  they  are  made 
vacant  by  death,  and  even  swell  the  little  band  of  heroes 
into  a great  army ! “ As  fast  as  famine,  hardship,  sick- 

ness, cannon  balls,  thin  the  ranks  of  the  allied  armies 
before  Sebastopol,  others  are  sent  to  fill  their  places,  for 
the  nations  are  in  earnest . Will  the  churches  show  as 
much  zeal?  Will  they  show  a thousandth  part  of  it? 
Christ  died  for  us,  came  to  4 this  end.’  Who  for  his  sake 
is  ready  to  fill  the  breach  ? ” Thus  wrote  Mr.  Williams, 
when  he  communicated  the  intelligence  of  Dr.  Lobdell’s 
death.  And  we  repeat  the  question,  44  Who  is  willing  to  be 
baptized  for  the  dead  ? ” Who  would  not  long  for  the  honor 
and  the  privilege,  if  he  did  but  understand  that  great  law 
of  the  spiritual  universe,  from  which  even  the  Master  was 
not  exempt,  “ except  a corn  of  wheat  fall  into  the  ground 
and  die,  it  abideth  alone ; but  if  it  die,  it  bringeth  forth 
much  fruit.” 

There  was  preaching  in  Arabic  at  sunset  for  three  even- 
ings after  the  burial,  and  the  house  was  filled  with  atten- 
tive and  solemn  hearers.  “ I think  their  hearts  are  really 
bowed  with  grief,”  writes  Mrs.  Marsh  to  Mrs.  W alker,  of 
Diarbekr ; “ Oh,  may  they  be  led  to  more  diligence  and 
faithfulness  in  prayer!  Oh,  may  the  Lord  comfort  their 
hearts  and  ours!  The  Doctor  had  endeared  himself  to  me 
during  scenes  of  sickness  and  trial;  but  I never  loved  him 
so  much  as  when  watching  and  attending  him  during 
those  long  nights  and  weary  days ; I felt  that  we  could 
not  let  him  go.  Hanna  (Mrs.  Marsh’s  servant),  who  was 
with  us  the  night  before  he  died,  said  to  Mrs.  Lobdell, 
4 If  the  Lord  takes  him,  it  is  because  he  loves  him’ — so 
it  is,  and  we  will  not  call  him  back.  He  sleeps  in  Jesus ; 
may  we  be  prepared  to  sleep  with  him,  and  rise  with  him, 


AGE. 


399 


and  the  other  dear  ones  who  now  rest  in  that  little 
enclosure  — at  the  resurrection  morning.” 

The  reader,  who  lias  become  interested  in  Dr.  Lobdell, 
will  be  glad  to  know  thus  much  of  those  whom  he  has  left 
behind  him.  The  companion  of  his  bosom  partook  so 
much  of  his  spirit  that  she  stood  by  him  in  his  last  mo- 
ments with  perfect  calmness,  and  was  wonderfully  sus- 
tained through  those  subsequent  days,  and  weeks,  almost 
every  hour  of  which  brought  with  it  something  to  remind 
her  of  her  irreparable  loss.  Little  Mary,  too,  saw  her 
father  die  with  complacency,  and  thought  it  was  a blessed 
thing  to  die  ; and  after  his  burial  she  said,  “ they  put  his 
body  in  the  ground,  but  his  spirit  has  gone  to  the  Lord ; 
he  is  in  heaven.”  “ Papa,  papa,”  was  on  the  lips  of  the 
little  boy,  as  well  as  of  his  older  sister,  for  many  days, 
though  he  is  too  young  to  retain  any  permanent  remem- 
brance of  his  father.  Mrs.  Lobdell  still  remains  a mission- 
ary at  Mosul,  to  labor  for  her  poor  sisters  there,  and  to 
“ fill  up  what  is  behind,”  so  far  as  possible,  of  her  husband’s 
labors  and  sufferings  for  Christ’s  sake,  and  “ for  his  body’s 
sake,  which  is  the  church.”  “ I shall  never  for  one  mo- 
ment regret,”  she  says  in  a letter  to  her  husband’s  friends, 
“ having  come  to  this  land ; I am  happier  in  the  little 
native  prayer  meeting  here  than  I ever  was  in  America. 
If  I could  be  the  means  of  saving  one  of  these  women,  I 
would  gladly  remain  three  years  longer.  I have  just 
reached  the  point  where  I can  do  them  good,  and  should 
I now  go  home  I should  feel  that  I had  not  done  what  I 
could.” 

Dr.  Lobdell  was  only  a little  more  than  twenty-eight 
years  of  age  when  he  died.  Brainerd  was  twenty-nine. 
Martyn  was  thirty-two.  It  is  said,  that  Martyn  knew  of 
only  one,  whom  he  reckoned  as  a true  convert  from 
among  the  heathen  through  his  instrumentality.  How 
many  were  savingly  benefited  by  Dr.  Lobdell  during  his 


400 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


short  missionary  life  of  less  than  three  years,  we  do  not 
know.  In  the  judgment  of  charity  — in  his  own  judg- 
ment, certainly  more  than  one.  But  had  he  died,  as 
some  missionaries  have,  without  seeing  a single  convert, 
his  life  and  death  would  not  have  been  in  vain.  Had 
there  been  no  apparent  fruit,  it  would  even  then  have 
contributed  “ to  fill  up  what  is  behind  of  the  afflictions  of 
Christ.”  Did  the  soldiers  who  fell  at  Lexington  and 
Bunker  Hill,  do  less  for  their  country’s  independence, 
than  those  who  lived  through  the  war  ? In  every  war, 
there  must  be  those  who  fall  in  the  early  stages  of 
the  conflict;  and  none  contribute  more  than  these  — per- 
haps none  contribute  so  much  as  these  — to  the  final 
result.  A great  deal  of  preparatory  work  must  be  done 
in  almost  every  mission.  And  by  constitution,  by  educa- 
tion, by  profession — in  every  way,  Dr.  Lobdell  was  ad- 
mirably fitted  to  do  this  work.  He  removed  prejudice. 
He  commanded  respect.  He  won  the  admiration  and 
affection  of  those  who  knew  him.  His  medicine  opened 
the  ears  and  the  hearts  of  the  people.  His  logic  tore  up 
error  by  the  roots.  And  his  preaching  of  the  truth  was  with 
power.  The  number  of  regular  hearers  was  trebled  in  those 
three  years ; and,  though  there  were  not  those  special  mani- 
festations of  the  presence  and  power  of  the  Spirit,  which 
have  been  experienced  in  some  missionary  congregations, 
there  was  a greater  proportional  increase  of  numbers  in  the 
church  and  congregation,  more  of  the  manifest  fruits  of  the 
Spirit  in  the  hearts  and  lives  of  Christians,  and  far  more 
of  the  spirit  of  serious  and  earnest  inquiry  in  the  com- 
munity, than  is  seen  in  the  average  of  churches  at  ordinary 
times  in  America ; so  that,  although  Mosul  is  a compara- 
tively hard  and  barren  field,  the  history  of  that  station, 
even  during  Dr.  Lobdell’s  brief  connection  with  it  in  the 
seed-time  of  its  existence,  irrespective  of  a future  harvest, 
would  perhaps  corroborate  his  apparently  extravagant 
proposition,  touching  the  comparative  usefulness  of  min- 


CHARACTER. 


401 


isters  at  home  and  foreign  missionaries,  in  the  letter  to 
the  Society  of  Inquiry  at  Andover.* 

Of  the  character  of  Dr.  Lobdell,  it  is  hoped,  little  need 
be  said  at  the  close  of  this  extended  memoir.  He  has 
spoken  it  out  and  acted  it  out  on  every  page,  till  it  is  as 
perspicuous  to  the  reader,  as  it  was  transparent  in  itself. 
Unless  we  are  quite  mistaken,  the  readers  of  these  pages 
have  been,  all  the  while,  not  only  observing  the  conduct, 
but  looking  into  the  heart,  of  a man , a scholar , and  a 
Christian  — areal  and  true  man  without  any  sham,  or 
show,  or  cant,  or  false  pretence  whatsoever — a whole  and 
(to  use  a favorite  word  of  the  Doctor  himself)  live  man, 
many-sided  and  alive  on  all  sides  to  every  thing  above, 
beneath  and  around  him — a self-made  and  self-controlled 
man,  (so  far  as  one  can  be  in  human  society  and  under 
the  divine  government,)  content,  nay,  resolved  to  be 
himself,  and  not  a mere  duplicate  of  somebody  else,  con- 
scientiously determined  to  be  what  God  intended  him  to 
be,  ambitiously  aspiring  to  become  all  that  God  made 
him  capable  of  becoming,  governed  by  his  own  reason 
and  conscience  and  will  with  a sovereignty  as  absolute  in 
himself  as  it  was  exclusive  of  the  dictation  of  others  — a 
scholar  enthusiastic  and  comprehensive  rather  than  ac- 
curate or  profound,  loving  knowledge  for  its  own  sake 
and  at  the  same  time  seeking  it  in  the  full  persuasion  that 
all  knowledge  is  useful,  fond  of  philological  and  anti- 
quarian researches,  but  exploring  the  dusty  past  chiefly 
in  search  of  wisdom  for  the  living  present,  and  rejoicing 
in  all  the  discoveries  of  science,  as  not  only  consistent 
with,  but  parts  of,  the  science  of  God  — a Christian,  not 
by  creed  and  profession  only,  but  in  the  deepest  convic- 
tions of  his  heart  and  in  the  whole  spirit  and  tenor  of  his 
life,  taught  not  by  the  schools,  or  even  by  the  church,  but 
by  the  word  and  Spirit  of  God,  and  making  it  his  daily 


34* 


See  page  337. 


402 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


business  to  do  the  will  of  Christ — a Christian  physician, 
liking  his  profession  well  enough  in  itself,  and  laboring 
in  it  with  much  success,  but  valuing  it  chiefly  as  a means 
of  alleviating  the  distresses  and  saving  the  souls  of  men  — 
a Christian  minister  of  the  Pauline  stamp,  reasoning  with 
Jews  and  Gentiles,  in  the  synagogues  and  in  the  market- 
places, week  days  as  well  as  Sundays,  out  of  the  Scriptures 
and  from  the  light  of  nature,  becoming  all  things  to  all 
men,  passionately  desirous  to  know  every  thing,  yet  in 
every  thing  knowing  nothing  but  Jesus  Christ  and  him 
crucified  — a Christian  missionary,  who  really  believed, 
and  acted  as  if  he  believed,  that  Pagans  and  Moham- 
medans and  mere  nominal  Christians  were  traveling  the 
broad  road  to  destruction,  and  that  nothing  could  save 
them  but  a living  faith  in  Christ  — a Christian  patriot, 
glorying  in  his  birthright  as  an  American,  and  look- 
ing to  his  country  as,  under  God,  the  hope  of  the 
world,  and,  for  that  very  reason,  longing  to  see  his  coun- 
try’s sin  and  shame  wiped  away  — a young  American, 
with  all  the  virtues  and  not  altogether  free  from  the 
faults  which  pertain  to  that  fast  age  and  race  — a Chris- 
tian philanthropist,  fully  convinced  that  the  gospel  of 
Christ  is  the  remedy,  and  the  only  remedy,  for  all  the  ills 
that  flesh  is  heir  to,  and  therefore  rallying  all  his  own 
powers  and  summoning  the  best  energies  of  the  best  minds 
in  Christendom  to  determined,  unwearied  and  self-sacri- 
ficing efforts  for  its  universal  application.  If  we  have 
succeeded  in  exhibiting  our  subject  in  this  character  and 
light,  our  object  is  accomplished.  If  we  have  failed,  it 
were  useless  for  us  to  prolong  the  effort.  We  shall, 
therefore,  only  add  a few  words  from  the  pens  of  others, 
which  will  show  the  recollections  and  impressions  he  has 
left  on  those  who  had  the  best  opportunity  to  know 
him. 

His  class-mate  and,  for  a season,  room-mate  in  college, 
who,  when  they  were  Sophomores,  united  with  him  in 


ESTIMATION  BY  OTHERS. 


403 


the  resolutions  recorded  in  a former  chapter,  but  who 
was  providentially  prevented  from  going  abroad  with 
him,  thus  writes : “ Indomitable  energy  characterized  him 
always  and  every  where  : and  had  it  been  upheld  by  a 
physical  constitution  to  match,  the  world  would  have 
been  proud  of  his  achievements.  Many  points,  which 
others  settle  by  the  unquestioned  authority  of  education, 
he  held  in  suspense,  till  his  own  judgment  gave  him  a 
decided  conviction.  His  piety,  while  healthy  in  its  emo- 
tional nature,  was  especially  marked  by  deep  and  un- 
yielding Christian  principle.  Persecution  could  not  move 
him.  His  constant  cheerfulness  and  buoyancy  of  spirits, 
made  him  always  a pleasant  companion.” 

The  friend,  who  knew  him  more  intimately  than  any 
other,  Rev.  J.  H.  Seelye,  has  sketched  as  follows  the 
prominent  traits  of  his  character : “ In  thinking  of  Dr. 
Lobdell,  I never  lose  a feeling  of  astonishment  at  the 
amount  of  work  he  accomplished.  If  actions  are  the  true 
measure  of  life,  he  lived  long,  though  his  years  were  few. 
I think,  few  men  have  died  so  young  and  yet  left  behind 
them  so  long  a record  of  such  varied  action.  He  ex- 
emplified whatever  of  truth  there  is  in  that  much  abused 
expression  : — ‘a  self-made  man.’  His  own  inner  resources 
carried  him  through  difficulties,  when  every  one  else 
failed  either  in  the  ability  or  the  willingness  to  assist 
him.  His  preparation  for  college  was  conducted  mainly 
by  himself  with  the  aid  of  books  alone.  While  in  col- 
lege, many  of  his  expenses  were  defrayed  by  his  own 
labor.  Yet  he  never  allowed  the  effect  of  this  to  be  seen 
in  his  studies.  He  always  maintained  a rank  in  scholar- 
ship among  the  very  first  of  his  class.  I do  not  think, 
he  ever  failed  to  be  present  at  a recitation,  while  in 
college,  or  to  recite  finely  and  promptly,  when  called 
upon.  His  punctuality  in  the  performance  of  any  duty 
assigned  him  was  very  marked.  He  was  always  in  his 
seat  at  prayers,  and  at  class  recitations  in  time.  He  was 


404 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


faithful  in  his  attendance  upon  the  literary  societies,  of 
which  he  was  a member,  and  fulfilled  his  appointments  in 
them  with  scrupulous  exactness. 

“ At  the  same  time  his  reading  was  very  various.  I have 
often  been  surprised  at  the  number  of  books,  with  whose 
contents  he  had  contrived  to  become  acquainted.  Though 
with  so  much  else  to  attend  to  and  nothing  neglected,  he 
yet  found  time  to  pass  beyond  the  topics  ordinarily  con- 
sidered in  college  studies.  He  undertook  to  settle  for 
himself  many  of  the  problems,  which  have  always  in- 
terested and  baffled  the  maturest  minds.  The  questions 
relating  to  nature  and  to  God,  to  sin  and  the  soul,  and 
especially  the  connections  of  the  inner  and  the  outer 
world  in  our  consciousness,  were  often  in  his  thoughts. 
An  essay,  which  he  read  before  the  class  in  the  discussions 
of  Senior  Year,  upon  ‘the  Relations  of  Psychology  to 
Physiology,’  was  a singular  example  of  how  much  he  had 
read  and  thought. 

“ His  place  was  always  filled  at  the  class  and  college 
prayer  meetings.  His  religious  character  and  influence 
showed  that  he  could  be  both  diligent  in  business  and 
fervent  in  spirit.  He  was  evidently  a growing  Christian 
all  through  college ; and  every  student,  especially  of  his 
class,  felt  increasingly  the  power  of  his  personal  religious 
influence.” 

After  speaking  of  the  number  and  variety  of  his  studies 
and  labors  — literary,  scientific,  medical,  theological,  min- 
isterial, missionary,  historical,  archaeological  — with  which 
the  reader  is  already  sufficiently  familiar,  in  his  college 
course,  during  his  professional  studies,  and  in  his  public 
life,  Mr.  Seelye  says : “ Besides  all  this,  I never  lose  my 
wonder  at  the  number  of  letters  which  he  wrote  — not 
merely  in  correspondence  with  his  friends,  but  expressing 
his  carefully  formed  opinions  on  important  questions  — 
and  the  wide  variety  of  topics  which  he  found  time  to 
investigate  and  to  discuss. 


MR.  SEEL  YE. 


405 


“ If  what  I have  written  should  be  told  me  of  almost 
any  other  man,  I should  have  said  that  so  many  efforts  in 
so  short  a time  must  have  been  superficially  conducted. 
But  this  was  far  from  being  the  case  with  Dr.  Lobdell. 
He  was  in  no  sense  a superficial  man.  His  work  was  as 
remarkable  for  its  thoroughness  as  for  its  variety.  lie 
knew  very  well  when  the  bottom  of  a subject  was  reached, 
and  he  was  never  satisfied  to  stop  short  without  reach- 
ing it. 

“ It  is  not  difficult  to  detect  what  was  his  secret  of  doing 
so  many  things  and  of  doing  them  all  so  well.  He  never 
had  any  idle  moments.  The  time  which  others  would 
have  spent  in  recreation  or  amusement,  he  spent  in  work. 
Added  to  this,  he  had  a rare  faculty  of  doing  with  his 
might,  what  he  undertook  to  do.  He  could  throw  his 
whole  energy  into  the  work  in  hand.  Moreover,  he  never 
lost  any  time  in  his  transitions  from  one  duty  to  another. 
When  he  sat  down  to  any  work  he  was  not  obliged  to 
wait  any  time  for  his  mind  to  become  stimulated  and 
aroused.  If  obliged  to  leave  for  an  hour  an  employment 
in  which  he  was  all  absorbed,  he  could  spend  that  hour 
engaged  in  something  altogether  different,  without  any 
abatement  of  interest  or  any  loss  of  time  for  the  interrup- 
tion. Though  he  did  so  many  things,  it  was  still  but  one 
thing  at  a time  which  thoroughly  occupied  him,  and  when 
this  was  finished,  or  the  time  he  could  devote  to  it  had 
expired,  he  could  at  once  enter  as  thoroughly  into  some- 
thing else.  Dr.  Lobdell  had  emphatically  that  strong  will 
which  can  not  only  triumph  over  obstacles,  but  which  can 
change  even  difficulties  into  stepping-stones  of  progress. 

“ It  might  also  be  supposed  that  so  much  energy  and 
such  constant  labor  must  have  been  connected  with  some 
marked  deficiencies  in  Dr.  Lobdell’s  social  character.  But 
I know  of  no  such  deficiencies.  He  could  never  have 
been  a hermit.  Indeed  he  had  an  uncommon  fondness 
for  society.  He  was  affectionate  in  every  social  relation. 


406 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


He  was  a frank,  warm  hearted,  generous  and  true  friend. 
Those  to  whom  he  was  bound  by  the  ties  of  kindred  or  affec- 
tion, he  greatly  loved  and  was  greatly  beloved  by  them. 
Society  was  not  only  a comfort  to  him  ; it  was  a necessity. 

“ The  strong  will  and  prevailing  energy,  so  prominent 
in  him  in  other  respects,  were  equally  evident  in  his  reli- 
gious experiences  His  purpose  to  serve  God,  like  every 
other  resolution  which  he  made,  was  strong  and  unyield- 
ing. Though  the  effect  of  the  skepticism  which  poisoned 
his  early  youth  was  never  lost,  it  never  broke  his  purpose 
to  serve  God.  I have  been  often  greatly  touched  as  lie 
has  disclosed  to  me  how  sorely  he  was  tempted  to  doubt 
and  deny  God  and  the  Bible.  Everything  was  dark  to 
him  at  times,  and  I believe  he  would  repeatedly  have  sunk 
in  utter  despondency,  had  not  his  deep,  underlying  purpose 
to  serve  God  held  him  up  and  borne  him  forward.  He 
clung  to  this  like  a drowning  man  to  a strong  cable. 

“ So,  also,  his  resolution  to  study  for  the  ministry,  and 
then  to  become  a missionary,  was  strong  and  permanent. 
I do  not  believe  he  ever  abandoned  either  of  them  for  a 
moment,  after  they  were  once  formed.  The  influence  of 
friends,  or  the  hopes  held  out  to  him  in  other  directions, 
never  swerved  him  a particle  from  those  resolves.  In 
everything  it  might  be  said  of  him : What  he  willed,  he 
strongly  willed. 

“ The  Christian  ministry  accorded  with  many  of  his 
natural  tastes  and  preferences ; but  he  had  no  natural 
inclination  to  the  life  of  a missionary.  I do  not  think  he 
ever  regretted  his  decision  to  go  abroad ; but  he  went 
with  no  romantic  expectations.  He  was  not  insensible  to 
the  difficulties  and  the  trials  before  him ; but  he  calmly 
resolved  to  face  them  all  and  endure  them  all.  He  was 
ready  to  spend  and  be  spent  in  his  Master’s  service.” 

His  pastor  at  Danbury,  while  he  was  principal  of  the 
Danbury  Institute,  speaks  as  follows  of  the  impression  left 
by  a comparatively  short  acquaintance  : “ He  threw  him- 


PR.  PERKINS. 


407 


self,  with  all  the  ardor  and  enthusiasm  that  character- 
ized his  subsequent  carder,  into  a home  missionary  enter- 
prise, with  which  we  were  identified  in  one  of  the  old 
towns  of  Connecticut.  I ardently  loved  and  admired 
him  as  a man,  a Christian,  and  a missionary  of  the  Cross. 
He  attached  to  himself  all  that  drank  in  the  spirit  of  his 
Master.  He  was  generous  and  self-sacrificing  to  a fault  — 
4 counting  not  his  life  dear  unto  him.’  Yet  he  was  inde- 
pendent and  fearless  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty.  His 
life  was  literally  filled  up  with  usefulness.  I have  been 
amazed  to  see  how  much  he  crowded  into  the  briefest 
interval. 

44  To  my  mind,  he  was  the  true  missionary.  He  more 
resembled  Ignatius  Loyola  in  the  enthusiasm  with  which 
he  prosecuted  his  work,  than  any  missionary  of  modern 
times.” 

Rev.  Dr.  Perkins,  after  the  narrative  of  Dr.  Lobdell’s 
sickness  in  his  house  at  Oroomiah,  which  has  been  inserted 
in  a former  chapter,  thus  proceeds : 44  His  ardent  disposi- 
tion and  wonderful  activity  led  him  to  apply  himself  to 
labor  too  soon  and  too  vigorously  after  his  confinement 
by  sickness.  I do  not  remember  ever  to  have  known  a 
more  inquiring,  active  mind,  one  more  eager  in  the  pur- 
suit of  knowledge  on  almost  every  subject.  He  darted, 
like  the  airy  bee,  from  flower  to  flower  in  the  vast  and  novel 
field  opened  before  him  in  Persia,  culling  a thought  here, 
and  there  a fact  that  might  be  useful  to  himself  or  others 
in  future  life.  His  inquiries  embraced  a very  wide  range. 
He  was  at  once  theologian  and  antiquarian,  philologist 
and  naturalist,  and,  most  of  all,  missionary.  Had  his  life 
been  spared,  he  would  have  greatly  distinguished  himself, 
particularly  as  an  Oriental  and  antiquarian  scholar. 

44  He  was  also  skillful  and  indefatigable  in  his  medical 
practice,  in  which  his  sympathizing,  benevolent  nature 
never  allowed  him  to  resist  or  neglect  the  cries  of  the 


408 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


suffering,  which  were  almost  constantly  ringing  in  his 
ears. 

“ The  crowning  charm  of  his  very  estimable  character, 
and  that  which  most  of  all  won  our  affections,  was  his  sim- 
ple, ardent,  child-like  piety,  his  overflowing  love  to  the  dear 
Saviour,  who  had  purchased  him,  a lost  sinner,  with  his 
own  precious  blood,  and  to  whom  he  felt  that  he  owed 
all  things.  That  dying  love  he  delighted  to  magnify 
and  proclaim.  A large  measure  of  that  love  imparted  to 
him,  made  him  so  lovely  in  life,  so  happy  in  sickness,  and 
triumphant  in  death. 

“ Ilis  visit  to  Oroomiah  was  one  of  the  sunny  spots  in 
our  missionary  pilgrimage,  on  which  we  shall  ever  love  to 
look  back  in  the  lively  hope  of  ere  long  meeting  that  clear 
younger  missionary  brother,  and  other  loved  ones  gone 
before  us,  in  heaven.” 

His  much  beloved  associate  in  missionary  labor,  Rev. 
D.  W.  Marsh,  has  furnished  with  his  graphic  pen  a sketch 
of  the  life  and  character  of  Dr.  Lobdell,  which  has  just 
come  to  hand,  and  which,  to  avoid  repetition,  must  be 
somewhat  abridged.  Had  it  been  received  at  an  earlier 
day,  it  might,  perhaps,  have  been  incorporated  with  the 
narrative ; but  the  reader  will  not  regret  to  go  rapidly 
over  the  doctor’s  missionary  life  again,  under  such  an 
accomplished  guide. 

“My  entire  acquaintance  with  Dr.  Lobdell  was  upon 
mission  ground.  He  came  out  in  1852.  At  that  time,  I 
was  on  my  way  to  America.  Between  Aleppo  and  Lataki- 
yeh,  Rev.  Mr.  Ford  and  I traveled  all  day  in  a most  violent 
storm  to  meet  Dr.  Lobdell ; but  we  missed  him,  which 
deferred  our  acquaintance  till  May,  1858.  Dr.  Lobdell 
had  then  been  a year  in  Mosul.  I took  a house  which  so 
joined  his,  that  we  could  communicate  without  going  into 
the  street.  Our  families  were  thrown  constantly  together. 
Often  after  our  meals  were  cooked,  we  had  the  common 
stock  brought  to  one  table,  and  sat  down  together.  In 


MR.  MARSII. 


409 


going  from  his  study  to  the  dispensary,  which  was  in  my 
outer  court,  lie  must  pass  through  the  inner  court.  I can 
see  him  now,  — his  hat,  his  coat,  his  cane ; the  tall  form 
and  slight  stoop  as  he  walked. 

“ The  sick  were  always  about  him,  Moslems,  Christians, 
and  Jews.  It  is  difficult  to  say  whether  wealthy  howajees 
and  powerful  aghas , or  the  very  poor,  would  be  most 
assuming  and  impertinent  in  their  demands,  or  least 
grateful.  There  were  pleasant  exceptions ; but  patience 
and  kindness  were  severely  taxed,  and  almost  never 
failed.  He  was  very  happy  in  his  intercourse  with  all 
classes. 

“ Having  abundant  opportunities  among  the  sick  and 
their  friends,  to  preach  the  gospel,  he  was  very  faithful. 
Few  persons  came  into  contact  with  him  without  having 
their  consciences  addressed.  This  he  did  in  a way  that 
won  their  good  will,  and  left  the  impression  that  he  was 
their  friend. 

“ Often  have  I entered  his  study  and  found  him  sur- 
rounded by  a company  of  ten,  twelve,  or  twenty.  His 
mode  of  argument  was  peculiar.  He  had  rare  power  of 
forcing  his  opponent  to  hold  the  laboring  oar.  He  often 
tested  logic  by  asking,  ‘How  do  you  prove  that?’  This 
simple  question  often  utterly  silenced  some  voluble  empty- 
head.  It  was  timed,  and  put  with  a good-nature  that 
precluded  caption.  Like  the  delicate  stroke  of  a rapier, 
it  turned  aside  the  enemy’s  deadliest  thrust. 

“ Soon  after  I came  to  Mosul,  Dr.  Lobdell,  by  advice 
of  the  Mosul  station,  started  for  Oroomiah,  to  spend  the 
summer.  I saw  him  well  on  his  way,  riding  out  fifteen 
miles  to  Bartulli.  He  commonly  rode  at  a gallop,  either 
sending  his  baggage  before  him,  or  leaving  it  to  follow. 
The  sick  flocked  around  him  as  he  dismounted. 

“ He  proceeded  to  Oroomiah  by  Arbeel  and  Ravendouz. 
During  that  journey,  two  things  made  an  indelible  im- 
pression. Ever  after,  he  had  an  aversion  to  the  savage 
35 


410 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


nature  of  the  Koords.  He  would  often  contrast  their 
rugged  sullenness  with  the  good-natured  treachery  of  the 
Arabs,  Nor  did  he  ever  forget  the  heavenly  atmosphere 
of  the  missionary  circle  at  Oroomiah.  He  returned  from 
Oroomiah  to  Mosul  in  September,  1853,  through  the  sub- 
lime mountains  of  Jeloo  and  Tekhoma  in  company  with 
Messrs.  Coan  and  Rhea  of  the  Nestorian  mission.  Dur- 
ing his  absence,  we  kept  acquainted  with  him  by  a con- 
stant succession  of  letters.  After  his  return,  we  were 
once  more  thrown  side  by  side.  He  began  again  very 
actively  the  practice  of  medicine.  His  study  was  fre- 
quented as  before.  Crowds  of  from  twenty  to  seventy 
came  to  the  dispensary. 

“ I was  impressed  with  his  ceaseless  activity.  He  was 
almost  constantly  reading,  or  writing,  or  studying.  He 
took  no  small  interest  in  literary  questions.  He  traced 
the  route  of  Xenophon,  and  followed  Alexander  to  the 
great  battle-field  near  Arbela.  He  procured  coins  and 
antiques  for  his  Alma  Mater.  He  pondered  the  questions 
started  by  Layard’s  discoveries.  He  questioned  all  classes 
upon  every  topic  likely  to  throw  light  upon  biblical  in- 
quiry or  Oriental  customs.  He  cross-questioned  Jews  as 
to  their  traditions  or  interpretations,  and  Moslems  who 
came  for  medicine  as  to  the  succession  of  pashas,  the  age 
of  the  city,  or  their  belief  and  customs.  He  always  had 
large  note-books  on  his  desk,  and  a small  one  in  his  pocket. 
He  vras  gathering  a large  store  of  facts. 

“He  was  diligent  in  his  profession.  The  Moslems  said 
that  he  exhausted  good  works,  and  left  them  nothing  to 
do.  He  frequently  visited  the  sick,  rich  and  poor,  in  dis- 
tant quarters  of  the  town. 

“ Before  medicine  was  prescribed  at  the  dispensary,  a 
portion  of  scripture  wras  read  and  explained,  and  a prayer 
offered.  As  Moslems  formed  the  larger  part  of  his  au- 
dience, upon  his  return  from  Oroomiah,  his  mind  was 
much  exercised  upon  the  question,  ‘ Ought  we,  in  the  pres- 


TRE ACHING  CHRIST  TO  MOSLEMS. 


411 


ence  of  Moslems,  to  risk  declaring  the  entire  plan  of 
salvation  ? 5 It  is  a question  that  might  well  lead  to  dif- 
ferent views.  When  lie  found  that  Mr.  Williams  and  my- 
self were  deliberately  resolved  to  follow  the  dictates  of 
our  consciences,  and  not  withhold  from  Moslems  the 
counsel  of  God,  he  was  delighted.  We  all  felt  (as  we 
were  warned),  that  there  might  be  some  danger.  We 
knew  that  there  were  passions  about  us  sleeping,  that 
might  become  as  wild  as  those  which  nearly  swept  the 
English  from  the  Presidency  of  Bengal.  Sometimes,  as 
Christ  was  proclaimed  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  only 
Saviour  of  man,  a bigoted  Moslem  would  rise  and  go  out, 
and,  as  report  said,  curse  us  when  well  out  of  hearing. 
Often  would  Moslems  listen  with  riveted  attention,  assent- 
ing aloud  to  statements,  till  their  thoughts  were  irresistibly 
directed  to  Christ,  when,  at  times,  they  would  manifest 
an  instant  revulsion,  at  others,  a reluctant  fascination. 
The  reflex  influence  upon  Christians  was  very  important. 
They  felt  that  we  were  in  earnest.  Papists  and  Jacobites 
often  trembled,  and  begged  us  not  to  preach  any  more 
in  the  presence  of  Moslems.  During  all  this  time,  Dr. 
Lobdell’s  convictions  of  duty  grew  stronger  and  stronger. 
We  took  turns  in  preaching.  If  ever  I presented  the 
truth  in  Jesus  with  more  than  usual  clearness,  he  was 
almost  sure  to  express  his  delight  afterwards.  Soon  the 
change  was  so  great  in  the  city,  that  all  classes  began  to 
dare  to  admit  to  Moslems  that  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God. 
Before  this  time,  a Christian  had  always  equivocated  or 
denied  his  Lord.  In  this  matter,  Dr.  Lobdell,  who,  as  a 
physician,  was  called  peculiarly  to  meet  it,  manifested 
truly  a martyr  spirit.  Rather  than  withhold  the  gospel, 
he  preferred  to  risk  his  life. 

“Dr.  Lobdell  usually  enjoyed  an  overflow  of  health  and 
spirits.  He  is  to  our  minds  indelibly  associated  with  his 
horse  and  cane.  He  carried  his  cane  while  riding  as  well 
as  walking.  He  bought,  for  twenty-six  dollars,  what 


412 


MEMOIR  OF  LORDELL. 


proved  to  be  a very  fine  Arab  horse.  That  fleet  animal 
and  the  fresh  air  outside  the  city  walls,  were  his  refuge 
for  health  from  the  close  fever-dens  of  rmany  of  his  pa- 
tients. The  exhilaration  of  the  change  was  always  de- 
lightful. But  for  it  he  would  probably  have  been  earlier 
in  his  grave.  He  was  a bold  and  even  a reckless  rider. 
We  often  raced  on  fleet  horses.  Neither  roughness,  or 
rocks,  or  gullies  would  deter  that  horse  or  his  rider.  I 
well  remember  one  day  when  we  were  racing,  and  came 
to  slippery  ground.  I drew  rein : he  plunged  on,  when 
his  horse  slipj^ed,  and  turned  a complete  somerset.  He 
was  thrown  a rod  or  more  in  advance.  I came  up  in 
much  anxiety  for  his  neck ; but  horse  and  rider  rose  from 
the  mud  without  serious  harm.  From  that  time,  a com- 
plete change  took  place.  He  rode  fast  still,  but  always 
with  due  care. 

“In  the  spring  of  1854,  after  the  first  annual  meeting 
of  the  Assyrian  mission,  Dr.  Lobdell  and  myself  were  ap- 
pointed to  go  to  Diarbekr,  and  assist  the  brethren  in 
deciding  several  important  questions.  Mr.  Dunmore  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walker  were  returning  to  that  station,  and 
we  formed  a large  party  through  the  desert.  We  had 
two  Arab  guides.  Well  do  I remember  his  questioning 
those  Arabs  as  to  black-mail,  the  pedigree  of  their  horses, 
and  other  matters  that  would  interest  the  sons  of  the 
desert.  We  all,  even  to  the  lady,  tried  once  riding  upon 
the  camel.  He  was  full  of  inquiry,  note-book  in  hand,  at 
Nisibin,  and  the  ruins  of  Dara,  and  the  Saracenic  castle 
which  crowns  the  mountain  of  Mardin.  He  hurried  back 
to  Mosul,  to  wait  upon  Mrs.  Williams,  and  attend  her 
last  hours  during  that  mournful  last  attempt  to  save  her 
life  by  a journey  to  Oroomiah. 

“ In  the  fall  of  that  year,  plans  ripened,  which  had  been 
gradually  forming  in  his  mind,  for  a summer  residence  at 
Deira,  near  Amadieh.  It  would  have  thrown  our  mission 
into  constant  summer  contact  with  the  Nestorians,  and 


IIIS  MONUMENT. 


413 


necessitated  our  learning  the  Syriac  language.  lie  en- 
tered into  it  with  great  zeal ; and  although  less  sanguine 
as  to  its  healthiness,  I consented  to  join  him  in  commenc- 
ing the  trial.  On  our  way,  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Marsh, 
we  visited  Sheikh  Adi,  at  the  time  of  the  Yezidee  festival. 
Dr.  Lobdell,  as  usual,  manifested  his  unbounded  spirit  of 
intelligent  inquiry.  On  our  return,  one  scene  is  indelibly 
impressed  upon  the  mind  of  Mrs.  Marsh  and  my  own, 
which  occurred  at  a mountain  pass.  The  Doctor  had  rid- 
den on.  As  we  followed,  creeping  along  a precipice  over- 
hanging a torrent,  we  caught  sight  of  him  down  under  an 
eternal  wall  of  rock,  sitting  upon  a boulder,  and  breaking 
up  minerals.  His  favorite  horse  was  standing  content  in 
mid-stream.  That  mountain  scene  is  to  us  his  monu- 
ment. 

“We  do  not  deny,  nor  would  we  conceal,  that  Dr.  Lob- 
dell had  faults.  We  love  him  as  a rare  man,  one  of  a 
thousand ; but  let  no  young  disciple  imagine  that  in  Dr. 
Lobdell  was  found  immaculate  and  unattainable  perfec- 
tion. His  faults  were  nearly,  if  not  quite  all,  the  faults 
of  youth.” 

After  specifying  particularly  that  skeptical  tendency 
which  regarded  almost  every  point,  even  of  practice,  as  an 
open  question,  and  that  constitutional,  and  perhaps,  more 
or  less  ambitious,  restlessness  which  made  him  too  careless 
of  over-work,  — faults  which  are  sufficiently  apparent  to 
every  reader  of  these  pages,  — Mr.  Marsh  proceeds  : “ I 
mention  these  blemishes  as  they  seemed  to  me  a part  of 
the  history  of  a jewel  of  the  purest  water.  In  the  hands 
of  the  great  lapidary,  they  would  have  grown  constantly 
less.  Now  that  this  gem  adorns  the  Saviour’s  vesture, 
there  is  no  flaw  or  spot  upon  it. 

“I  have  only  to  allude  to  his  journey  to  Baghdad  and 
Babylon.  The  Oroomiah  mission  chose  him  to  represent 
their  critical  situation  with  reference  to  the  Persian  gov- 
ernment to  Mr.  Murray,  the  English  ambassador  to  Persia, 
35* 


414 


MEMOIR  OF  LOBDELL. 


then  to  arrive  at  Baghdad,  on  his  way  to  his  post.  While 
waiting  for  Mr.  Murray,  he  visited  Babylon,  the  first 
American  missionary  to  do  it,  and  possibly  the  first  Amer- 
ican. He  was  received  as  the  guest  of  the  Residency, 
and  treated  in  a very  handsome  manner.  Dr.  Lobdell 
was  very  well  adapted  for  this  work.  The  Nestorian 
mission  owed  many  future  favors,  and,  perhaps,  the  visit 
of  Mr.  Murray  to  Oroomiah,  to  this  labor  of  love  on  the 
part  of  Dr.  Lobdell.  He  always  had  an  affectionate  re- 
gard for  the  members  of  that  mission,  and  in  conducting 
our  English  prayer-meeting,  it  was  his  aim  to  elevate  the 
tone  of  piety  in  our  circle  to  the  high  standard  there. 

“Now  he  has  gone  to  an  atmosphere  purer,  to  a society 
holier,  to  the  assembly  of  the  first-born,  the  goodly  com- 
pany of  martyrs,  apostles,  and  prophets.  He  is  with 
Stoddard  now,  not  on  a favored  mountain  of  earth.  He 
mingles  with  our  heavenly  friends.  That  unquenchable 
spirit,  year  after  year,  in  blessed  company  soars  to  loftier 
heights.  He  is  obeying  the  voice,  ‘Come  up  higher.5 
When  shall  we  be  with  him  ? 55 


4 


^ouo^y^.  Ot 


^A’,d 


